


Violet Shooting Star

by Sushion



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, 流星のロックマン | Mega Man Star Force
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crossover, F/F, Ferdinand Von Aegir is a girl, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, because I say so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:00:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 26,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23056633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sushion/pseuds/Sushion
Summary: In the year 220X, Bernie was a simple, lonely girl who wanted nothing more than to live a quiet life. But that all changed when an alien made of energy smacked her straight in the head.  With fiery blood and an ego to match, the alien Rock merges with her, fusing together to take on the other aliens hunting him down. And maybe he'll convince her to go to class afterwards.A Three Houses/Megaman Starforce crossover fic, following the plot of Megaman Starforce with the Three House's cast replacing the human characters Roleswap-style.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Rock 'n' Roll

Hmm… Is this the place? Alois tugged on his blue jacket as he got off the bus, "It's been a while since I visited Mrs. Stelar's house… I'm not sure if it's this direction or that direction. Alois scratched his head, "Maybe I can find someone who can give me directions…" He looked around the green suburb, spotting a young, tan-brown skinned man in a white jacket with yellow highlights standing next to a shop.

"Excuse me, sir?" Alois approached him, "I need some help."

"Sure is, what can I help you with?" the green-eyed man said, munching on a candy bar he held in his hand.

"I'm looking for the Stelar residence. Perhaps you might know where Celsi Stelar lived?"

"The Stelar residence huh? I don't live here… but you might wanna try that house over there," the green-eyed man bit into his candy bar, then with that hand pointed backwards and to the left, to a white house with a blue rooftop. "I heard a couple of kids mention that name about an hour ago. Could be the one you're looking for."

"Thank you so much sir," Alois waved him off, then headed towards the building. "I guess his directions were very… _direct,"_ he said, laughing at his own joke. "Guess this must be it," he said as he reached the house. He knocked on the brown door three times, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Who's there?" the door answered.

"Excuse me, my name is Alois!"

"Alois?"

"Yes! Alois Boreal! Is this where Celsi Stelar used to live? I have to drop something off!"

There was a click of the lock. The door opened just enough for him to make out the face of a purple-haired girl.

"Umm… yes… That's my mother's name."

"Oh, so you're Bernie Stelar?"

The girl nodded. She opened the door all the way, letting him see a young girl who looked just like Celsi.

"I used to work under your mom," he said, "back when we used to work at Waxa. I quit the place a few days ago to start my own research lab, but while I was packing up, I happened to find something I wanted to deliver to you." He got onto his knees and pulled out a small, red case. The girl took it from him, opening it to find a small, green visor.

"This is your mother's Visualizer. This was something your mother used while she worked with me. I think you should have it. It'll probably look better on you than on me."

The girl put the Visualizer on, letting it rest on her head. It made him smile. "You wear it just like how she did, too. You really are like a miniature Celsi, you know that?"

The girl smiled back. "Thank you Mr. Boreal," she said. 

He waved his hand. "Please, Alois is fine. You know, your mother always talked about you. She loved you very much."

"…I know," she said, her smile shifting back into a frown.

"I'm so sorry for your loss. If you ever need anything, you can find me at Amaken. That's the name of my lab, in the north section of Echo Ridge. Here's the address." He got back on his feet, handing her a business card with the company address on it. "Goodbye, Bernie." He waved to her as he turned around, going back the way he came.

"Thank you, Alois. Goodbye," she said. She waved back, closing the door back to her house.

* * *

Three years have passed since that day she was given her visor. Three years since her mother died in that station accident.

"Hahhh…" she sighed. She stared up at the night sky, watching the world twinkle above her. The sky looked beautiful tonight. It was clear from west to east, and she could see all the stars shining down onto the earth. She sighed again, letting herself get lost in the stars.

"Huh?" she said. One of the stars began to shine brighter, growing bigger and bigger. It was even moving, dancing and dashing all around the sky. A second one followed after it, as if trying to catch it.

"That's strange…" she said. Was it a comet? Or a U.F.O? She wasn't sure if alien life existed, but it didn't seem that unlikely to her. It'd be pretty strange to see an alien in person though. She at least hoped they'd be friendly aliens, and not try to abduct or eat her.

What would happen to those stars if she put on her Visualizer? She flicked her visor down.q "Woah! What is that?!" she shouted. Suddenly, the two stars had changed into two, beast-like things! And they weren't chasing one another either, they were actually fighting! The red, bull-like beast punched the blue beast in its face, sending it crashing down from the sky. The blue beast dragged across the dirt, colliding with her and sending them both tumbling with a roll.

"Kyaa! What's happening?!" Bernie squeaked. She looked down, finding herself on top of the blue beast, "Eep!"

"Owwwww!" the blue beast whined, "Hey kid! Get up now!" it said, pushing her off of itself.

"Aah! I'm sorry, monster! I promise it was an accident! Just please, if you must eat me, eat me quickly so I don't have to feel pain!"

"Monster?" the monster's eyes narrowed, "Hey kid, don't you think it's a little rude to be calling me a monster? You don't see me calling you a weirdo do you?" It crossed its arms, turning its head away in a dismissive matter, "Hmph, rude."

"Hey! I'm not that weird!" Bernie pouted, before realizing that the monster was actually talking. "Wait, you can _talk_?" The beast looked strangely organic, almost humanoid. And yet it was definitely not anything she'd seen before. The beast only had a blue torso, a head, and two arm bangles, held together by a stream of green energy. It stood upright, hovering just a few feet in the air as its green energy trailed into vapor. The most interesting thing about it was its wolf-like face and crimson red eyes. It looked like a wolf crossed with a human made of energy and metal.

"Of course I can speak! Duh!" the beast wagged a finger before pointing its thumb at itself. "I didn't spend a year learning English for nuthin'! Also, human meat tastes like crap to me. Couldn't stomach them if I tried."

"Warrock!" the red beast said, "You can't run from me!" The red beast took a deep breath inwards, then blew a blast of fire down in their direction.

"Ah crap, kid! Watch out!" the blue beast grabbed her by the hand, pulling her out of the way just before the fireball hit them. The fireball hit the stone ground, burning it and scattering into tiny firesparks.

"Whaaaa!" Bernie screamed while she was being dragged. "Why is this happening!?" All she wanted to do was stare at the stars. She never expected she'd get attacked for something as small as that!

"Listen kid, there's no time to talk!" the blue beast said, "Give me your arm!"

"What?! Why?!" she said.

"Oh fine, I'll do it myself! Wave Change, Warrock!" The beast grabbed her by the arm, and a beam of light surged around them. Then, just as quickly as the light wave formed, it disappeared, and her clothes had suddenly changed. Her white and purple jacket was now replaced by a violet jumpsuit, with her star necklace embedding itself within. Not only that, her shoes and left sleeve turned into a matching set of tall purple boots and armband.

"What is happening today?" She asked. Everything was a one big blur to her. She couldn't grasp what was going on. First she gets smacked in the head by some random beast thing, and then another beast starts spitting fireballs at her, and now her clothes are suddenly changing?

"Kid, if you're gonna keep asking 'what' all day, we are not going to survive this. Just stop for a second and focus!" Her right hand suddenly jutted upwards, turning to face her.

"Whoa!" she said as her mouth dropped. Her hand had transformed into the wolf's head, its green energy flowing around it.

The wolf-beast laughed, "Surprised kid? Now, hold me steady with your other hand!"

"Okay…" She gripped her wolf-hand as if it was a gun or a blaster, "Like this?"

"Good!" the wolf-beast tilted his head upwards, aiming for the bull-like beast in the air, "Annnnd, now!" He shot a charged bolt of energy from his mouth, striking the bull in the chest. He fired again only for the bull to dodge, before landing a second hit and making it stumble to the earth.

"Gah! Of course you'd have some trick up your sleeve! I'll return soon, Warrock! You're coming back with me one way or another!" The red-beast picked itself off the ground, dashing off into the night sky towards the unknown.

"Ehh… I've been with better help before…" the wolf-beast said. "Still, thanks for backing me up there, kid." The light from before flashed over her and suddenly she was back in her old clothes. And the wolf-beast was no longer attached to her arm, and was now floating once again in midair. It was as if she never changed at all.

"So, you'll probably want to know what the hell is going on. Allow me to explain. Ahem," the wolf-beast cleared its throat. "To put it simply, my name is Warrock, or Rock for short. I am an alien from outer-space. Spooky right?" The wolf fiddled with its fingers, pretending it was a ghost.

Bernie blinked, "You're, you're an alien?"

"Well I think if I came from outer-space, and I can fly, and I've got these green glowy limbs no human has, then I would be an alien." Rock flicked a finger as he listed everything off. "And I am all those things, so yes, I am an alien. Or at least I am one on Earth."

"An alien… wow, they really do exist." Bernie put a hand to her head. What would the world say now if aliens were real?

"Yea, that's what I said when I met my first human. Nice lady she was."

She blinked again, "You met a lady? In space?"

"Sure did. Now, I'm gonna need someplace to crash. Gotta lay low for a while, keep the feds off me. And by feds I mean alien feds. Do you mind if I stay with you?"

"What? You can't stay with me! Why do you need me anyways?"

"Because you're the first human I found. I don't want to go around risking having other people see me. Do you know what it's like when people find out aliens exist? Jesus Christ, that was a rough time over in FM. The people thought the lady was gonna explode the whole planet. Can you believe that bullshit? She could barely even hurt a Mettaur, let alone a planet!" Warrock laughed, "So can I stay or what?" he said with a straight face.

"I don't know…" She shook her head. "What if the police start looking for us?"

"Don't worry, it'll all be fine. Look, I'll just hide in here." Rock put a hand on her Transer, and instantly he transformed into a beam of light, zipping straight into the phone-armband. He reappeared _inside_ of the phone, in that he was actually inside the screen.

"Ah sweet! I can do this again!" Rock said with a smile.

"Hey! Get out of there!" Bernie said.

"Nope, nuh-uh. I'm staying here." Rock turned around, staring at her phone's wallpaper, "Hey, I like your pic. Why _that_ catgirl specifically? You like women or somethin'?"

"Hey!" she protested, "...Yes."

"I'll tell no one kid, it's your privacy. Oh hey, these apps are pretty cool. I wonder if you can still get Bloons Tower Defense 5," Rock said. He kept scrolling through the phone, searching for the app, "Okay so, you've got a voice pitch analyzer… meme maker… Here it is! Aww sweet, I can play it again! I wanna beat my record!" Rock booted up the game, and immediately got to work popping, placing down a well-positioned Dart Monkey.

She shook her head, "I don't care how much fun you're having. You can't stay here!"

Rock paused the game. "Ahhh, come onnn… Please? Look, I really need to hide somewhere. Things will get very bad if the people hunting for me actually find me. And I mean really bad, in that you cannot fathom how bad this will get."

"I don't care! I don't want to get in trouble with those guys or the police!"

"Hmph, alright kid, I'll head out now," Rock zapped out of her Transer, turning back into his somewhat physical form. "That's a shame. I haven't had this much fun since I was with Celsi." he said, hovering slowly into the sky.

"Wait!" she called out, reaching for him. "Did you just say Celsi? Which Celsi?"

"Hmm?" Rock turned around. "Celsi Stelar, you know the girl?"

"That's my mom! Where is she?"

"Hmm…" Rock scratched his chin, "I don't know if I should say that. Anything I do might get you in trouble with the cops. But we can't have that can we? You're right, I'm gonna head out now."

"Come onnn, don't be like that!" Bernie whined. "Fine, you can stay in my house. But you at least have to follow my rules!"

"Okay kiddo. That's perfectly fine by me. Now, let's get back to your house asap. We don't want that guy coming back for us." Rock zapped back into her Transer, turning the game back on. "I'm just gonna keep playing this if you don't mind."

Bernie shook her head and sighed, making her way back to her house. She pulled the key out of her pocket and unlocked the door, going back to the quiet, dark safety of home.

"Jeez, this place is dark. Do you have a light somewhere?" Rock jacked out of her phone, zipping around to find a light switch. He turned the lights on, blinding her with the sudden change in lighting. "That's better, this place is kind of nice."

"Oww!" she blinked her eyes, rubbing them instinctively. "Yea, well. It's everything I need," she said. She just needed her kitchen and her room, and she was set for life. Well, and Carl, the guy who delivers her groceries for her. The two of them made their way to her room, climbing up the steps to her bed. Rock dove into her bed, ruffling the blanket up.

"Oh sweet, this is so comfortable," Rock said as he rolled around in it like a dog. "I could get used to this."

She sat at the edge of her bed, staring out the window, "So… what exactly is going on? What was that thing from before?"

Rock sat upright, "It's not a thing, he's a guy. And his name is Taurus."

"How do you know him?"

Rock scratched his head with his claws, looking down at the ground. "We used to be friends…"

Her eyes widened, "Your friend was trying to kill you?"

"Arrest me, not kill," Rock furled his brows, offended at the thought. "But yes, he was. Like I said, we used to be friends, but all of that changed about a month ago."

"What happened a month ago?"

"I got into a couple of scraps with a couple of higher ups. And now a couple of people are hunting me down because I tried to play the good guy. If I lay low long enough, they might think finding me will be a lost cause, and leave Earth all together." Rock made a deep sigh, "That's why I need to hide here. If I can hide in your Transer, then they'd have a harder time finding me versus if I was out in the open. I only need to be here until they leave. Once they're gone, I'll be out of your hair."

"I guess that makes sense…" she said, raising her finger at him. "Fine then, you can stay here, but only until they leave! Alright?"

"Yea, I know kiddo." Rock got off of her bed, opening the window door as he hovered to the balcony. He gestured for her to come follow him, which she did. She settled down on the railguard, resting her head on her elbows.

"Strange world, right? With your Visualizer, you can see the waves too. Can't you?"

She put on her Visualizer, letting her see those strange, beautiful roads in the sky again. Some of the roads were small and thin, they probably couldn't even let a person walk across. Others were so large she bet she could've rode a car or truck on them. They weren't like the stars at all. They were less bright, sure, but with how unusual they were, they were in a category on their own. "Yea… they're beautiful." She wondered what it was like, standing atop those roads, watching everything below her.

"I think everyone I've met thinks the roads are beautiful. Especially when you compare it to the earth below. I've only seen pictures of what this planet was like, but I'm already amazed by it." he said, taking a deep breath.

She turned to him. "You got to see pictures of Earth?"

"Yea, tons of them, whatever Citri showed me. It was all incredible, and to see it all in person…" Rock sniffled, sighing into the wind. "It's amazing really."

She sighed, "Mom… So what do you know about my mom?"

Rock turned around, leaning his back on the rail guard, "I met her on the space station she was on. We became friends for about a year or so, before we made our separate ways."

"Separate ways? So does that mean she survived the space station incident?" Three years ago, the space station her mother was on had mysteriously malfunctioned. She remembered watching the TV, crying as the footage of people panicking turned into static. A chunk of that space station was recovered by Waxa, with some of the belongings of those who were on board at the time of the incident. One of those belongings was her mother's Visualizer, the last thing she ever got from her.

"I don't know," Rock said, tapping a finger on the rim of the rail guard. "I hope she's not dead, but I haven't seen her since the day we split up. And that was before the incident. For all we know, she might not be alive."

"Oh…" For a second, she really did hope that her mother was alive. But she knew that'd be too good to be true.

"Look, it's pretty dark out. Let's head to bed." Rock dematerialized once again, zipping straight back into her Transer. "Good night, Bernie," he said, before snores started coming from her transfer.

"Good night, Rock," she said. Bernie climbed into her bed, falling asleep as she thought about her mom once more.

* * *

"Heya, kiddo. It's morning."

Bernie opened her eyes up to see a blue, dog-like creature staring at her face. "Whaa!" she screamed, rolling out of her bed only to find herself hitting the ground. "Owwww…"

Rock threw his hands into the air. "Did you really forget I was here?"

"You're the one hovering right over my face!"

"Oh, my bad," he said. "So, come on! Let's go do something!" Rock pumped his fists, ready to head out.

"Well, I'm going to read, if that's what you mean." She took the book from under her pillow, flicking to the page she had left on. Rock hovered behind her, leering at her book with bored eyes.

"You're going to be reading all day? Booorinnng," he yawned. "There are so many things we can try out! Don't you want to see the world?"

"Aren't you supposed to be laying low? You make it seem like you're on vacation."

"Yea, but I can hide in your Transer! I've never been to earth before, I wanna see everything it has to offer! This is a vacation for me! As long as I run away from anyone who tries to hunt me down."

"Well I still don't want to go outside," she said as she flicked to the next page. "I'd rather just stay at home, do my schoolwork, then mind my own business."

There was knocking at the door, "Bernie Stelar! Come down please, we would like to speak to you!"

"Who's that?" Rock said as he looked out the window. "Hey, there's this orange-haired girl and a couple of other people standing outside your door, are they your friends?"

"No, they're not," Bernie said, trying to focus on the book.

She heard another voice, "Come on Bernie! We'll buy you some ice cream and take you to the arcade!"

She hesitated, putting the book down for just one second. She did love ice cream, and the arcade did sound nice. But no, she didn't want to go out, so she wasn't going to go out.

"They sound like friends to me," Rock said, scratching his head. "That's what Celsi told me Earth friends would do. Come on, let's go hang out with them. I wanna learn what ice-cream tastes like!"

"They are not my friends, I'm not close to them. And you're not going to meet them on your own, either. You said you didn't want to get caught."

"Well I don't need to meet them myself. I just need you to meet them for me!"

"No! I don't want to make friends!" She was getting annoyed by this alien now. All she wanted to do was live quietly and peacefully, without having to worry about anything like people or friends or parents.

"Well why not?"

"I just don't like talking to people!"

"Well you're talking to me right now, don't I count as people?" Rock said, raising his hands up.

"Yea but-, but I don't have a choice in the matter! You live here now!"

"Hey Bernie! If you come out here, I'll show you my killer backflip!" someone called out from outside.

"Caspar, do it on the grass this time. You don't wanna get yourself hurt again."

"It's fine Dorothea! Sheesh, you worry too much."

"Dorothea is right, Caspar. You don't want us to have to call your mom again, do you?"

"There won't be a mom to call, Ferdie, cause I'm not gonna get hurt!"

"Five bucks says we have to call Caspar's mom."

"Screw off, Lin! Watch! Huh!" There was the sound of shoes hitting the ground, "Yeahhh. Pay up Lin!"

Rock's eyes widened, "Woah! Did you see that?! That kid was so cool!" he said, tugging on to her shirt.

"No, I didn't," no matter how cool it was, she just wanted to be left alone.

"Well come on! I'll show you!" Rock zapped into her transer, and suddenly yanked her out of bed, forcing her off her feet. 

"Waah!" she nearly tripped down the steps thanks to how fast Rock was pulling her. Rock made her grab the door knob, swinging the door open. And right at the entrance was Ferdie, the class president. Standing behind her were her three other friends, Caspar, Lin and Dorothea.

"Eep! Rock what are you doing?!" she said.

"Rock? Who is Rock, Bernie?" Ferdie scrunched her eyebrows, "Are they a new friend of yours? I wasn't aware that you made another friend."

"Eep!" Bernie squeaked, shutting the cover of her Transer.

"Hey-!" Rock protested. She muted the Transer, keeping him quiet before he could argue again.

"I'm just watching a show! Sorry about that!" she said awkwardly, hoping she didn't notice the alien in her phone.

"Ah, I see. Well, maybe we can watch that show together? The five of us? Or, maybe we could go to the arcade together? If you would like to come, we'd be more than happy to have you join."

"Umm, I can't come!" she lied, quickly coming up with an excuse. "I have a lot of stuff I need to do around the house! Yep, lots of cleaning. It's nothing but cleaning all day today!"

"Well, the four of us would love to help you out if it means we can get you to come with us. Right guys?"

"Sure, anything for the Bern!" Caspar said, pumping his fist in the air.

"Of course, I would love to help you out." Dorothea gave her a cute wink and a cuter smile, making her blush a little.

Lin simply shrugged. "If it means I can get a large soda later, then sure."

"No-no! It's fine! I can do it all by myself!" she said, stepping back into her house. _Pleaseee, can they just let her go inside now?_

Ferdie tilted her head, her smile turning sour, "Hey, Bernie, can I ask a question?" Your house looks fairly clean to me. Were you lying to us?"

She blinked, not having a response to being caught. "Uhhh…"

"Bernie, I understand that ever since three years ago, you have not wanted to come to school anymore, and you have been avoiding people as well. But it isn't very noble-hearted to lie to someone when you could be honest with them. You could've simply said you didn't wish to come with us, and I would have understood." Ferdie turned around, sternly walking away, "Come on everyone, let's go to the arcade."

The other three looked at her, giving her sad looks across the board. "I guess we'll see you another day, Bernie…" Dorothea waved half-heartedly at her, as the three of them left to follow Ferdie.

Her Transer flipped open, unmuting itself, "Well you screwed that one up, didn't you?" Rock said.

"Yea…" Now she felt really bad. It's true, she didn't want to go with them, but she didn't want to hurt their feelings either. She sighed, closing the door and heading to the kitchen.

Rock rematerialized himself, following her. "Whatcha gonna do now, kiddo?"

"I think I'll just eat some breakfast…" She opened the fridge door, finding nothing but some condiments. She closed the door and opened the cupboards, they were completely barren except for one empty box of cereal.

She clicked her tongue, "We're pretty much all out."

"Why not try a restaurant or something? Maybe get a burger?"

"A burger for breakfast?"

"Sure, Celsi told me she used to do that when she was on Earth."

"Wait, she did? That's not fair, she said I could never get burgers for breakfast!"

"Yea, she said she didn't want you to develop bad habits. We should totally go get some!"

She was half tempted to argue, before her stomach started to growl. The alien tugged on her hand, trying to nudge her to leave.

She gave in, "Alright fineee, if you promise not to materialize while we're in public, okay?"

"You got it, boss," Rock said, zapping himself back inside the transer. "Woohoo! We're gettin' burgers for breakfast! Do you know a good place?"

"There's a place not too far from us, it's about ten minutes if we walk." She and Rock left her house, heading down the sidewalk. They ended up passing by her school, not like she was going there any time soon however. She walked further down until she reached Spica Mall. She was grateful they had a mall so close. Anything she could ever need, she could just find here. She opened the doors, leading into the gray and blue shopping area where people walked around, noisily conversing with one another. She avoided them all, focusing only on the burger place she had her eyes on. "29 Girls," was its name. She opened the door, and the delicious smell of meat cooking filled her mind, making her stomach growl even more.

"Ahh yea! It smells so good in-"

She flicked the cover down, muffling Rock, "Shhh… If you talk too loud people will notice."

The cover flicked open. "Sorry about that," he said, now quieter. The two of them went to the counter, deciding what to order for themselves.

"Ooh! Can I get a double pounder with-"

"Rock!" she chided him. He was being loud again.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" the cashier said. "Are you talking to someone on the phone?"

"Eep! Yes, sorry about that! He's a little eager to order," she turned around and shushed him again. "Sorry can you just text me it?"

Rock stayed silent, pulling up the notepad and typing his order out instead.

"Alright, that works. Excuse me, sir, one cheeseburger with bacon and pickles, and a double-pounder with extra meat."

"Alright, ma'am. That'll be 2000 Zenny!"

"2000?" Her burger only costs 540, with a drink and curly-fries. She did not want to have to pay that much for breakfast. Nonetheless, she forked over the 2000, taking her receipt and her burgers to go. "Thank you," she said as she left.

"We're not gonna eat inside?" Rock asked as they rang the bell on the exit door.

"No, we've been cutting it close!" All she wanted to do now was go back home and eat in the comfort of her sofa.

"Aww, already? But we just got here! Look, there's the arcade!" Rock lifted her arm, pointing to a building with neon red lights spelling out "ARCADE." She took a look inside, spotting Ferdie and her friends in one of the corners, playing a Dance Dance Revolution styled game. Judging by how fast they were going, they must have been playing at the highest difficulty. Dorothy seemed to be at the top of her game, landing a 50-Hit combo. Lin was, well, dancing somewhat lazily, but was matching Dorothy in points. They looked like they were having tons of fun, laughing and fooling around with each other.

"Hey, it's those people from before. You sure you don't wanna join them? Come on, let's go say hi to them!"

She shook her head, "We can't go in there, not after what happened today. Plus they'll probably be even more upset if they found out I was here."

"Hmph, alright, suit yourself. Let's go home then, cause I'm starving."

"Sure," the two of them turned around, making their way back to the mall exit. Just before they opened the door, there was the sound of an explosion behind them. She turned around to see the arcade on _fire._

"What is happening there?!" She set down her breakfast bag on a table, rushing back towards the building. She went as close to the building she safely could, looking inside it. Ferdie and the others were now trapped behind a mixture of debris and flaming arcade games, unable to escape. They were all on the floor, having fainted from the explosion and fire.

"Oh no! They're all in trouble!" she said, reaching her hand out for them, before pulling away from the heat.

Rock raised her arm to her face, alerting her, "Hey kid, put your visor on."

She lowered her Visualizer, and suddenly she was able to see three creatures in the building. Two of them were small, yellow things with hats on their head. They were swinging pickaxes at all the electronics inside the building, causing them to break and burst. In between them was a large red lizard, spitting fire around the building and lighting everything aflame.

"See those things? Viruses are what they are. If we don't cut them down, they'll continue to multiply and so will the damage. That one in the middle looks like they're the source of the fire."

"We gotta go save them!" she said.

Rock raised an eyebrow, "You wanna go save them, kiddo? I thought you didn't want to hang out with them?"

She shook her head, "You're right, and I didn't! But that doesn't mean they deserve to get hurt! Rock, help me transform again! Maybe we can fight them off like we fought the bull guy again!"

"So you don't like talking to people, but you'll still go out of your way to save them?" Rock chuckled. "I like you kid, go find a hiding spot so we can do this thing!"

She looked around for any place that could provide cover, settling on the empty bathroom corridor. "There!" she ran towards it before anyone noticed her, hiding behind the lockboxes.

"Okay, let me grab hold of your arm!" Rock jacked out of her armband and grabbed her arm with his hand. "Wave Change! Warrock!" They were both shrouded in a beam of light as her clothes changed once more. She was back in her purple jumpsuit, with Rock replacing her right hand again.

"I'm going in!" she said as she sprinted into the flaming building. The first thing she noticed was that the fire felt noticeably cooler than it should've. "This fire isn't hurting me as much as it should be," she said.

"That's because a Wave Change will make you stronger both offensively and defensively. Think of it as a superhero transformation. Still, I can tell you aren't as strong as Celsi, but it doesn't matter. Let's clear them out!"

Two mini-miners charged at her, pickaxes ready. They swung their pickaxes down, sending shockwaves across the ground. "Whaa!" she jumped to dodge, finding herself a several feet into the air. "Whoa!"

"Enjoying that high jump?" Rock laughed, firing two bolts at the mini-miners as they hit the ground. The first one squeaked as it was hit, tumbling backwards as it fragmented and turned into light. The second one was taken out just as quickly, squealing as it faded away.

"Aww… they were so cute though," she said as they deleted the miners. They had big, adorable eyes, and those oversized hardhats made them look even cuter. They could probably make a great plushie.

"I know right? Those things are called Mettaurs. It's a shame we have to delete them. My favorite are the ones with blue hats. But listen, kiddo, we need to watch after the lizard now!" Rock readied himself, aiming for the fire lizard that was setting the building aflame. It hissed at them, blowing a stream of fire their way.

"Whoa!" Rock pulled her out of the way, making them roll before he fired another blast, striking the lizard in the side. The lizard hissed as it pulled backwards, screeching in pain.

"Now, kiddo!" They charged at the lizard, and Rock made a hard bite onto its torso. "It's over!" he fired one last bolt, splitting the insect in half as it faded away.

"That's the end of that," he said. Now there were no more viruses, but there was still the matter of rescuing those four out of the building. She jumped over the rubble that trapped them, picking Caspar up first. It was surprisingly easy picking him up, despite him being much larger and stronger than her normally. That must've been the power of the Wave Change, just like Rock said earlier.

"Alright! Got him!" she held on to him tightly, jumping back over the debris and laying him down a safe distance away from the danger area. She jumped back into the building, saving Dorothy and then Lin.

"Good job kid! One left!" Rock said as they sprinted back inside. The only one left now was Ferdie. But when Bernie moved to pick her up, Ferdie suddenly started to shift around.

"Huh? Bernie… is that you?" she said, her eyes barely open. She got off her feet, hunching over with weak knees.

"Eep!" Bernie squeaked. This was bad, now Ferdie recognized her, "Umm… Rock! Help me out!" she said without thinking.

"...Rock?" Ferdie said. Oh no, she picked up on that too? _Now you've done it Bernieee._

"Roll! My name is Roll!" Rock said, coming up with a fake name for them.

"Roll?" Ferdie said.

"Yea! I'm here to save you! Just take it easy!"

"I… Is that Bern…" before she finished speaking, a red being bolted towards her. It grabbed her arm, and for a split second she was able to see that it was the bull-alien from before.

"Wave Change! Taurus Fire!" he shouted.

"What the-?!" Rock said. An wave of fire surged over the two of them. The two of them turned into one giant, red and grey minotaur, covered in metallic armor with flames swirling around it. More flames spewed out from its red gauntlets, scorching the air around them. Bernie took a step back, the heat finally getting to her.

"Fool! You fell right into my trap!" The minotaur punched its fists together, "I told you I'd be back Warrock!"

Rock clenched his teeth, "Taurus! You would force an innocent human to fight?!"

"Look at yourself! You're the one who Wave Changed first!" The minotaur charged at them at full force, nearly tackling them had Rock not pulled them out of the way. They rolled off the ground, aiming straight for the minotaur's back.

"Hey, I'm not the one using humans as live bait! And my partner agreed to fight with me!" Rock fired at the minotaur, only for it to turn around, blocking the shot with its massive gauntlets.

"I'll get that key from you if it's the last thing I do!" The minotaur said, taking a massive breath.

"Key?" What did he mean by Key?

"Focus kid! Incoming!" Rock said. 

"Eat this!" Taurus said. The minotaur spewed out a massive fire wave, carpeting the ground.

"Kyaa!" she jumped out of the way, landing atop an arcade cabinet.

"Good job kid!" Rock readied her arm, firing another blast aimed for Taurus's head, striking him and knocking him off balance. "Let's go! Get in there!" She dashed towards him as Rock began to charge an energy blast. Taurus revved up another fire wave, only for them to slide under him just before he fired off. 

"Now!" Rock fired the charged shot, hitting Taurus in the shoulder, taking it out.

"Gahh!" Taurus screamed. She got off the ground and ran away from him, as Rock fired two more blasts at his head, bringing the minotaur to the ground.

"This ends here!" Rock fired a massive blast straight for Taurus's other shoulder. Taurus cried out as he broke his link with Ferdie. Now Ferdie laid on the ground where Taurus once was, completely out cold once more.

"Ferdie!" she shouted. "Please be safe Ferdie, I'll get you out of here as soon as I can!"

"Urgh!" Taurus said as he clutched his shoulder, "I'll be back Warrock! Don't think you've seen the last of me!" Taurus dashed out the backdoor of the arcade, escaping yet again.

"Well that takes care of that for now," Rock said. "Come on kid! Let's get her out of here!"

"Uhuh!" she picked Ferdie up, carrying the ginger out of the burning building. She set her down beside the other three, now they were all safe.

"That's the last of them," Rock said. "Let's skedaddle before the cops show up!" They ran back to the corridor, defusing into their own bodies as they rushed out the side door that led outside. She ran off, hiding in a secluded alleyway a small distance away from the mall.

"Now what, Rock?" she said, panting heavily with her hands on her knees. Now that she was no longer fused, it was back to being exhausted quickly like usual.

"I say we lay low for a couple of minutes," Rock jacked back into her transer, staring back at her from the screen.

"Do you think anyone noticed us?" she said, panting again.

"I'd doubt that, but if anyone comes to question you, act like normal."

Her stomach growled, "Rock? I'm still hungry…" All the fighting, dodging and running really burnt her out. She just wanted to go home and eat now.

"Let's go back in through the front. We'll sneak the bag with us and run home."

She nodded, making her way back to the front door once more. It looked like the Satella Police was gathering around the arcade building, and firefighters had arrived to douse the flames out. She found the burger bag, but couldn't help but worry as more people started gathering around the damaged arcade.

"Just ignore the cops, kiddo," Rock said, picking up the bag with her arm.

"I hope they'll be safe," she said, referring to Ferdie and her friends.

Rock nodded, "Of course they will. _You_ saved them. Be proud of that."

She smiled, "Thanks." More cops entered just as she left, making her give a small, nervous squeak as she ran straight home.

* * *

Bernie heated up their burgers, setting a plate down for the both of them as they sat on the couch.

"Honestly? Fun day today," Rock said as he bit into his burger, "Oh Christ, this is delicious!" Rock chomped down once more, enjoying his meal, "I could have another one of these."

"We probably won't buy another one for a while. I normally don't spend 2000 Zenny just like that." She bit into her own burger, after that ordeal, it tasted like heaven to her. She could use a cold shower, a bag of ice, or an icy glass of blackberry soda too. Something to get the heat off her body.

"So what now, kiddo? We still got the rest of the day," Rock said as he bit into his burger again. "If you ask me, I could still go out and explore more."

"I don't know, I think I'll just stay here and watch some TV," Bernie got up, turned on the TV, then went back to press her face into the sofa cushion. It was so cozy, it had to be the coziest couch on the planet. Even Rock was getting into it, curling up like a dog on the edge of the sofa.

"Hey Rock, do you think you could tell me something?"

"What do you wanna know?" he said as he bit into the last of his burger, waiting for her to speak.

"What was it like living up there, you know, in space? What's it like staring at all the stars while you're up there with them?"

Rock straightened himself, taking a moment to speak. "…There are a lot of things in the world I would call amazing. And staring out into space, while you're in space, is definitely one of those things. It's a sight, that's for sure. Lights as far as the eye can see, everywhere and anywhere you look. Us FMians, those from Planet FM, can not only fly, but we can even survive in space. So I've spent a lot of my life out there, staring at those stars. But honestly? Everytime I see them, I can't help but think they're one of the most amazing sights ever."

"And what about Planet FM? What was it like?"

Rock put a hand on his neck, "It's certainly a far-cry from Earth. It's mostly rock when you get down to it. I'll be honest, getting on that space station was the most fun I ever had. It was like a whole nother world. I got to learn so much about things like plant and animal life in the station. In my opinion, I think you Earthlings have it better. You have all this stuff. Games, beaches, all this life. This stuff is the kind of stuff I'd live for."

"Really? Huh," she never really thought that Earth would be more impressive than another planet. She had always thought it'd be the reverse.

"But the grass is always greener on the other side. Your mom told me that one day. She was just as fascinated by FM the same way I was by Earth. She wanted me to tell her everything about my home planet. So I did, I told her about what it was like being an FMian. About all the friends I had, and our king, Cepheus..." Rock stared at the ground, frowning once he said that last line. "Look, I think I might be a little burnt out now. Do you mind if I borrow your Transer?"

She nodded, taking off her armband and passing it to him. She stared aimlessly at the TV screen, watching the day go by as Rock got back to playing his game.

* * *

"The arcade, huh?" he scratched his chin, heading towards the scene. "I wonder what's going on here." It looked like the rest of his squadron had already started an investigation. The building was sectioned off with tape, good.

"Boss! What do you make of this incident?" the new recruit said, approaching him.

"Fill me in on what's going on first," he said.

"Alright, so, one of the arcade systems suddenly caught on fire, trapping four students inside as several other devices started to explode. Then some girl ran inside and rescued the four students, running away before we could arrive. The witnesses tell me she was in a purple outfit, and wore some kind of glasses on her face. It also appears there were some signs of a struggle. It's possible that the girl fought with someone inside the building."

"It's certainly an interesting situation indeed. Keep investigating," he told the new kid, who nodded as he got back to work. "I wonder what the kiddo will say when we get back from work," he said. He pulled out his flask, taking a swig of it. "I wonder who this girl was. We might have to do an investigation on her as well…"


	2. No Strings Attached

"…Gryaah!" Rock groaned as he stretched himself on the couch. The kiddo had already gone to bed by now, but he still had the energy to stay up for a while. He felt like going outside and stretching his legs. Doing anything physical was a good time for him., especially fighting, he could go for a good brawl right about now. It's too bad the only people he could fight were his former friends, especially now that they were now trying to capture him. He did miss them a lot deep down, but he kept going. He wasn't going to be a part of their plans, and he wasn't going to let them hurt anyone else.

Rock looked out the window, noticing how dark and quiet it was. It seemed like a perfect time to run out and check out the world around him. The only problem is that the kiddo would probably get mad if he wandered off. "But…" he said to himself. It's not like the kiddo was awake to see him go out. He could sneak out, have fun, and then come back before she'd even realized he was gone. He took a peek out the front door, confirming that there weren't any humans to see him. "The coast is clear," he said, sliding out the door. 

He laughed to himself, feeling clever about his sneaky plan. From what Celsi told him, Echo Ridge was a small, quiet suburb in the city of ACDC. By now, most of the buildings had their lights off, meaning he had the place to himself. His attention landed on the shop right across the road of the kiddo's house. He headed towards it and looked inside. It looked like it was a store for both snacks and electronics. In a small bin were some packs with… Wait, were those the battle chips that Celsi showed him? No way, he'd have to get his hand on some more. Too bad the store was closed, otherwise he'd go in there and buy some this instant. He walked around the edge of the store, stopping when he found a large box with tons of potato chips inside.

"Oh sweet! Snacks!" He put his arm inside the latch and tried to pull a bag of chips out. After several minutes of struggling, he was left empty-handed. He sighed in disappointment, before coming up with an idea. "Oh wait, I can just do this!" He zapped himself inside the vending machine, getting 5 bags to fall down the hatch. "Yeahah!" he said, taking the chips for himself. He opened a bag and ate a chip. "Damn," it tasted good, with a salty yet sweet kick. 'BBQ,' the cover read in big, red letters. Whatever that stood for, it was probably delicious.

His armband started beeping. "Wait… that's…" Someone was calling for him from the north. He put down his chips on a bench before he shot into the midnight sky, straight towards the source. With an overhead view, he saw the quiet suburb below slowly shift into a large, bustling city. He guessed this was the proper city of ACDC. It was like a whole different world compared to Echo Ridge. The buildings reached as high as he was flying. Bright lights lit up the entire city, giving a lively look to the place. Even the Wave Roads were different than the ones in Echo. They twisted and turned around the tops of the skyscrapers, weaving into each other to form larger roads before branching off in different directions. He liked this place already. With how alive it felt, it made Echo look like a ghost town. But he couldn't afford to stop and explore the place, because he'd just found the source of the signal. It came from the roof of a tall, shadowy radio skyscraper in the middle of the city. He couldn't see anyone on the rooftop when he dropped down, however, they must have been hiding.

"Hello there, Rock," someone said from behind the large radio antennae. They dropped down the small ledge, revealing themself to be Lyra, his best friend. 

"Lyra," he said, "what do you want?" It had been two months since he'd last seen her. She had been sent on a long-term assignment to investigate Earth, just before he rebelled. She didn't look happy to see him, so he could guess she knew about the situation.

"I'm just trying to catch up with my friend. Is that too much to ask?" she said.

He crossed his arms, "I'm sure you're already aware that I've gone rogue. Be honest, you were given new missions from our bosses, weren't you?"

"That's correct, Rocky. But I'm also here to ask something for myself. Why did you leave us, Rock? Why did you go out of your way to steal the key to Andromeda when nobody was looking?"

"I left because I left. It's my business, and you should stay out of it if you know what's good for you."

"You're kind of a bad liar, Rock. You know that?" The silver girl winked at him, before giving him a serious look, "I know you, you're not the type to lie without good reason. And you wouldn't just leave us on a whim. What was it, Rock? Why won't you tell me?"

He scratched his neck, not answering her questions. "Is that all?"

Lyra sighed, "No, since you're my friend, I've come to give you a warning. The others have found you, and we have a new set of missions."

"Thanks for the warning. You're a little late though, I already found Taurus. Now what are your orders, then?"

Lyra nodded, "The first mission I was given was to take the back."

"Well good luck, there's no way you're getting it from me."

"Very well, I figured this might go this way…" Lyra said, closing her eyes. "You should know that my second mission is to take you back to Gemini, by force if I have to."

He clenched his teeth, "Gemini can take this key when he pries it from my dead hands! There's no way I'm going back, and I'm not going to let you capture me either!"

"I see… then you know what this means, do you?" Lyra took a step back, charging two blasts of pink energy from the flames on her head.

"Of course I do," he said, readying his claw to take on his enemy.

"Hmph," Lyra fired the blast at him, only for him to zip past it. It dissipated into the sky, fading into nothing as he charged at her. He slashed at her chest, following up with a hit with the back of his fist.

"Oww!" Lyra said as she was knocked back.

"Give up Lyra. I don't want to have to fight you, but you know this won't end well for you." He shot a blast from his mouth, hitting her again as he followed up with another swipe. Lyra fell to the ground, struggling to get up. "Leave! Get out of here before things get worse!" he shouted.

"Ghh… he's too strong for me…" Lyra escaped, ending the battle early. Atop the quiet radio tower, he now stood there alone. He sighed, Lyra was the closest friend he had, and to have to fight her like that brought him no joy. He didn't know how long he had left until he had to return home, however. And so he blitzed back to his house, swiping up the snacks off the bench on the way. He entered the girl's room, and stashed them under the girl's bed in hopes of hiding the evidence of absence. 

"The others will be coming too, huh? Great…" he said, sighing once more. He curled up at the girl's legs, ruminating on what he would do when they'd arrive.

* * *

Bernie yawned, waking up once more, and thankfully, Rock was not staring her in her face this time. She slipped out of bed, noting the lack of food once she went to the kitchen. "Dang it," she said. The last two days had been so overwhelming she completely forgot to order actual food. And Carl didn't deliver orders on Sundays, that meant she'd have to go to the store and get stuff for the week. She changed into a blue jacket, grabbing her purse as she prepared to head out. She opened the door to find Ferdie, hand raised to knock on it.

"Oh! Hello Bernie," the class president said, surprised. 

"Eep! Oh, hi Ferdie, " she said. "Is your shoulder okay? I heard you got caught in a fire accident at the arcade."

Ferdie nodded as she rubbed her right shoulder., "I'm fine. The doctor said nothing was permanently damaged, but that I should also take it easy. Dorothea, Caspar and Lin are also doing fine as well." Ferdie lowered her arm, relaxing herself. "By any chance, were you at the arcade last night as well?"

Bernie's eyes widened, "W-why?" she said.

"I had the strangest dream last night. The arcade was on fire, just like it was yesterday, but it was only myself who was there. I was lying on the ground at first, and then I got up and saw you standing in front of me. And then for some reason we started to fight. I don't remember why we fought in the first place, I just know it happened." Ferdie put two fingers to her head, shaking it in frustration.

"So this was your dream… right?" Bernie asked, deliberately avoiding the fact that everything she said was in fact not a dream.

"That's what I assume, but the thing is, it feels all so real. After that, I was knocked out by you, but then you picked me up and carried me to safety," Ferdie played with her hair, "Forgive me if this seems so out of place, but I wanted to make sure that you were okay. Hehe… It's a little funny when you think about it. I was the one who got injured in my dream, but I'm coming over to check on you." She put a hand to her head, rubbing it in confusion, "Still, I just can't shake the feeling that it wasn't a dream."

"Well, I wasn't there. I'm sorry that you went through that. Can you tell the others I said I hope they get better?" She felt really bad about having to lie to her once more, but she couldn't tell her secret to her. She didn't know what would happen if people knew she was hiding an alien in her house.

"Thank you, Bernie, I'll make sure to tell them you said that. I think that will be all for now. Me and the others will be going to the concert later. You know, the one with that musician Lin and Dorothea are fans of." Ferdie turned around, rubbing her shoulder again as she walked back to her house. "Good day Bernie, I hope you have a wonderful evening."

Bernie frowned as she left, closing the door, "Aww…"

"Hey kiddo, you're looking down. What's wrong?" Rock said as he entered the room.

"Ferdie didn't ask me to come with her this time…"

"…Wait, so you wanted her to invite you now? Weren't you telling me yesterday how much you didn't want to hang out with them?"

She pouted, crossing her arms, "It's the thought that counts! Even if I probably wouldn't have gone…"

"So you just want her to invite you just to reject her? That's cold, kiddo."

"Not like that! Sheesh, you make it seem like I'm trying to be vicious! It's just… difficult for me to talk to people. I'm not used to having friends okay? I was never really good with talking to people, even as a kid. I preferred staying inside, minding my own business." She went back to her closet, getting into a new set of clothes, "Look, lets just go out and get some groceries, okay?"

"Alright kiddo," he said. "Lead the way."

* * *

She was sick and tired of her uncle, storming off the bus to the one place she knew she could find some peace. "Vista Point" the sign read, her hometown's park. She walked down the dirt path, heading past the miniature train she used to ride as a kid over to the shaded tree she'd sit under. She pulled the guitar off her back, playing it with her hands.

"Reach for my hand…" she stopped, fumbling the chords on her guitar. "Come on Edie, take it from the top." She played the song again, getting it better this time. "Reach for my hand, I'll soar away…"

"Into the dawn… Hmm-hmm-hm-hmm hm-hm…"

She stopped again, looking around to see a small, purple haired girl walking by who was holding groceries in her hands. She stared at her the whole time, watching her aimlessly as she played her music. When the girl realized Edie was staring back at her, she suddenly squeaked, bringing her hands to her face. "Eep! Sorry, I didn't mean to stare!"

"It's fine, music is meant to be listened to," she began playing once more, humming the lyrics to herself. "Have you heard the song before?"

"Yea, I heard it play once at the mall. I don't know who made it or what it's called though. I thought your song was sweet, by the way," the girl lowered her arms, taking a small breath.

"What's your name?" she asked the girl as she tried to get a chord right, "I'm Edie, I'm just here to practice in peace."

"I'm Bernie, I'm just on my way home from the store. I've never seen you before, do you live here?"

"I used to, but I left when I was ten. It's been eight years since. Now I live with my uncle in the city, but I just wanted to see this place one more time..." She sighed, "This was my favorite place to go as a kid..."

"Really? It's my favorite place too… I like to spend some of my nights here, staring at the stars above while I do my homework," the girl said, giving a tiny giggle. "This place has the best view, you know? It's out in the open, and there's even a hill you can watch them from."

"My dad used to do that with me too," she said, staring at the morning sky, "I miss being able to go here with him…"

"Where is he now?" Bernie asked.

She sighed, putting her guitar down. "He's been dead for seven years now."

"Ohh… I'm sorry. I umm… I lost my mom too. It was in a space station accident."

"The space station accident…" she said, raising her eyebrow. "Was it the Hope space station?" 

"Yea, how did you know?"

"It was on the news everywhere. I remember being a kid when it happened, my dad was crying all day long. He said it was a tragedy that all those people died up there, and felt sorry for their families. If I remember, they were trying to find life on other planets, but one day they all vanished, is that right?"

She nodded, turning her head away as she grabbed one of her arms, "I couldn't stop crying for months afterwards. I just wanted to see my mom more than anything."

"I felt the same way about my own father. Sometimes I wonder what my dad would say if he saw me now. What would he say? Would he be proud of me?" she said, plucking a string on her guitar. "But it's not like we can change the past, we just have to keep pushing forward."

"I guess you're right on that end. Still, I do wish I could see my mom again…"

The two of them sat there, watching the clouds pass as they stared in the sky, thinking about their parents. Bernie checked her Transer, her mouth dropping as she read a text. "Shshshshhh!" she said, shushing her Transer.

"Is something the matter?" she asked her.

She gave her a flustered, nervous smile as she put her Transer on silent, closing the cover. "No-no! My friend is just texting me something rude!"

"Friend…" she muttered to herself, her heart sinking at the word.

Bernie gave her a worried look, "Hey, is everything alright?"

"It's just… I don't really have any-"

"Edelgard! Return this instant."

Crap, Arundel found her. Looks like her break was cut short. She got off her feet, spotting him heading their way.

"You are coming back with me and you are going to play that concert tonight like you're supposed to!" he shouted as he reached them.

"No! I'm sick of having to listen to you!" she said.

"I don't care! This is the last time you do this! You wouldn't want to disappoint Ionius would you?" Arundel gave her a sad, disingenuous frown. It was clear he was trying to emotionally guilt her into coming quietly.

"Don't you dare use my father's name," Edie snapped back at him. "What would you know about disappointing him? You didn't even see him at his funeral!" That sent him into a fit of anger. He grabbed her by the arm, squeezing it so tight she was sure the pain was intentional.

Bernie defensively raised her hands to her face, "Umm… umm… Edie! Turn your head away!" Edie listened to her, turning her head away just as Bernie threw a wave of sand in her direction. 

"Why you little!" Arundel was hit in the eyes, making him let go of her for a second.

"Run!" Bernie took her hand, sprinting out of the park before he could stop them.

"Edelgard! Get back here now!" he shouted, rubbing his eyes. Bernie ran even faster now, running straight into a house with a blue rooftop.

"Come inside!" she said as she pulled her inside. She locked the door, trying to catch her breath. "I think we got away before he could see where we went."

"Why did you help me out there?" she asked, rubbing where he had squeezed her arm.

"You just… looked like you needed some help," the girl said, still panting while she set her groceries on her dining table. She started packing away, starting with stuff that went into the cabinet. "I know a thing or two about scary people you have to live with," she said. She took out another can, trying to put it on the top shelf. "Hnnnng, almooost..." she whined, struggling to reach it. 

"Here, let me help." Edie looked around, pulling out a stepladder snuck between the counter and the fridge. She took the can off her hands, putting it on the top shelf for her.

Bernie giggled nervously, "Oh, right, thank you. I forgot it was there."

She shook her head, "No worries. Thank you for getting me out of there." 

"You're welcome. So, what's the deal with him?"

"His name is Arundel, my manager," she said. "But I'm tired of working for him. He sees me as someone he can use as a tool, not as a person. I can't wait for the day I can finally get away from him."

"Well, if you'd like, you can stay here for awhile. Do you know when you have to go back?"

"I wish I _didn't_ have to go back…" she said.

"Alright, well until then, do you wanna eat something?" Bernie said as she finished packing the last of the groceries.

"Would you let me? I haven't eaten anything in three hours."

"Sure," Bernie hummed her song again as she took out a can of ravioli from the cabinet. She set out two bowls, heating them in the microwave. _Beep_. "Yay, food's ready!" she said, opening the microwave and setting the bowls on a table beside the large, blue couch.

"Thank you again Bernie," she said, taking a bite. "Oh, this is delicious!" Arundel would never let her eat this kind of stuff. She had forgotten what excuse it was he had used the last time. Was it because she needed to 'maintain her public image?' She didn't really care, happily eating another spoonful.

"Hehe! Well, it's easy to heat up when you're too lazy to cook," Bernie said, adding extra salt to her bowl before digging in.

"Do you know how to cook?" she said, putting the bowl down.

"Yea, my mom taught me how to cook when I was a kid. I really do love cooking. I honestly wish I had some hot barbecue ribs for dinner."

"That sounds rather delicious. I wish I could learn to cook someday."

"Well-umm," Bernie twiddled her fingers, "how about the next time you come over? I could show you how to make it!"

She smiled. "Sure Bernie, I'd love that." 

There was a furious knock at the door, _"Edelgard! I know you're in there!"_

Crap, that was Arundel. 

_"For the last time Edelgard! Get out of that house!"_

Bernie gave her a panicked look, nervous and unsure of what to do.

_"Edelgard, get out of there or I'm going to call the police!"_

"Tch-!" she scoffed, getting off the sofa. "Alright! Just give me one second." She turned around, facing the girl who helped her out. "Sorry about that Bernie. Looks like I have to go now. Could I borrow your Transer for a second?"

Bernie nodded, pulling the Transer off her arm. She took it from her, finding her Brotherband page. It was heavily stylized to Bernie's tastes, with an entire theme centered around constellations and space. There was a star for every friend she had, forming a constellation in the shape of her necklace. She could even move the stars around, changing the shape of the constellation if she wanted. And yet, all of the stars except Bernie's own were empty, without a friend for them. Was she just like her, friendless?

She frowned at the thought, before resolving to change that. "Bernie, what is your last name?" 

"Umm, Stelar. Why?"

She put her info into her phone, before adding herself into Bernie's, hitting save on both. A small, blue beam of light flickered between the two for a second, signalling that the connection was made. "There, I made a Brotherband with you. Now we can talk to each other even when we're far away."

_"Edelgard! You have five seconds before I call the police! Five! Four!"_

"Alright Arundel, I'm going now." She quickly passed Bernie's phone back to her, opening the door to find Arundel with a scowl of fury. She glared at him back, quietly entering the car as they headed back to his mansion.

* * *

Edie bit her tongue the entire ride. Arundel was lecturing her, but whatever he ranted on about, she didn't know. She simply tuned him out, ignoring the old man.

"Are you even listening, Edelgard?" Arundel said in a tone of anger and condescension.

No, she wasn't. To be honest, she didn't care what this old man was thinking.

Arundel clenched his teeth, growing ever more furious. "That's it, go to your room and don't come out from there until I say so!"

Fine by her. Her room was the easiest way to get away from him. She opened the door of the car, making her way into her uncle's mansion. Fancy as it was, this place was hell for her. Arundel was very domineering, keeping her on a strict schedule of practicing her guitar and going out to public events. She wasn't even allowed to use any of the fun things in the house like the pool or the TV room. The only comfort there was to be had was either with Carlyle, her butler, or in her own room. Carlyle didn't like the way Arundel treated her, and always went out of the way to steal snacks for her and help her out behind his back. 

As for her bedroom, It was the one place she could get away from Arundel, most of the time. She dropped into her pink bed, resting her neck as she took out her phone.

"Hey Bernie, it's Edie," she typed. She waited about a minute, before her phone pinged her back.

"Hey Edie! What's up?" Bernie responded.

"Arundel sent me to my room. You?"

"I'm just playing some games right now. One of my friends is trying to get me to beat his record."  
  
"That sounds fun. Hey Bernie, may I ask you something?"

"Yea?"

"Do you think you can come to the concert tonight?"

It took awhile for Bernie to respond. "The one near my house?"

"That's the one. It's really important to me, and I don't have anyone to come with… It'd be nice if you could come, I'd like to have a friend there for me."

It took even longer to get another reply. She couldn't help but wonder what her friend was doing. "I'll have to check if I can afford a ticket. I hope they're not sold out."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I can cover it."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, it's the least I can do after what you did for me today. I want to thank you for helping me out back there."

"Well, if you're okay with buying another ticket, then I'll come. Sure!"

"Yes!" She cheered, hugging Mr. Snuggles, her plushie, in excitement. At least the concert wouldn't be a total bust now. Though really her anger was towards Arundel, not the concert itself. He always watched her like a hawk, both onstage and in the back room. He was the real source of her problem, not performing itself. Nonetheless, her excitement over having a friend to go with was quickly dashed away by the click of her door. Arundel suddenly swung the door open, storming into the room.

"And what is going on in there?" He said, scowling at her once he glanced down at her phone. "You have been talking to someone haven't you? Give me the phone!"

"No! I haven't done anything wrong!" She said, getting up from her bed. She was sick of this man; this wasn't the first time he barged into her room.

"I told you to only use it for business related purposes! Not for socializing!" He lunged at her, swiping her phone out of her hands before she could fight back.

"Hey wait-!" she said.

"You'll get this back when you earn it. Now, be a good dear and prepare for that concert, will you?" he looked at her phone screen, giving her a dirty look. "Hmph, you're talking to that rat from before. Tell her to stop contacting you immediately, unless she wants to deal with me."

"Rat?" Edie clenched her fist. She had spent half her life with this man, but in the few hours she knew her, Bernie showed a character a million times better than him. _He_ was the rat, not her new friend.

Arundel held onto the door, turning to face her. "I'm going to head out to see my clients. Practice your guitar until the concert, and maybe I'll give this back," he said, closing the door behind him.

Now alone, Edie groaned in frustration. She would've screamed if she knew she wouldn't get in any further trouble.

"Excuse me?" someone called out. She tensed up, getting up to find the source. It sounded like it was coming from outside, but when she looked out the window to check, there was no one down below.

"Excuse me? Can we talk?" 

"Who's there?" she said. Was it one of her uncle's henchmen? What would he want now?

"Up here!"

Edie looked up, her jaw dropping as she saw what was calling her. Some strange creature was _hovering_ above her. She could only describe it as some kind of silvery creature shaped like a lyre or a harp with two round hands. It had green eyes, and at the ends of the lyre were two small, pink flames, swirling around in the wind.

It dropped down into her room, making an elaborate bow, "There-there, relax. I mean no harm."

"What are you?" she said. She wasn't sure what to do or say right now, both confused and overwhelmed by the creature's sudden appearance.

"You may call me Lyra. I'm what an Earthling would call an alien."

Her eyes widened, "An alien? Oh gods, aliens exi-"

"Yes-yes, aliens exist. You'll get used to it in a couple of months. It's not as life-changing once the shock wears off," she said, rolling her wrist alongside her eyes in boredom. "I couldn't help but watch you have that argument with that man. You didn't deserve to go through that. You were just minding your own business," she said as she shook her head.

"Ugh, yes, he's just the worst," she said, clicking her tongue. Thinking about Arundel just made her all the more irritated.

"Oh, absolutely!" Lyra agreed, "If I were in your position, I'd march right back to him and demand your phone back. I'd even tell him off if I could."

"You're right about that one. If I had a chance to tell him off, I'd take it in a heartbeat," she agreed. This alien seemed very friendly and understanding, which she was very thankful for. 

"Of course you should!" she said in an encouraging tone. "Who does he think he is? The king of the world? He thinks that just because he has power he can trample over the weak?"

"Of course not. Power should not be in the hands of those who would use it for their corrupt purposes. And besides, he didn't do anything to deserve his power. He doesn't even deserve the mansion he lives in. It was my father and my music that got him to where he is now!" Edie worked herself up now, her anger and hatred for him started to bubble to the surface.

Lyra took a step back, "Wait, did he seriously do that? No way, that man's reprehensible!"

"That's not even the half of it. He's my father's brother, and walked out on him just after I was born, calling him a piece of utter trash. But then when my father died, he suddenly came into my life and started acting like he cared this whole time about my father and me. I wish I was old enough to see him for the snake he was from the start. Then I wouldn't be trapped in this stupid contract!" A hot tear streamed down her face. She choked out a sob, her past digging up her anger and sadness.

Lyra gave her a sad look, hugging and softly patting her head. "Oh dear, you really had it hard sweetie, haven't you? There-there… I'm here for you okay? I'm sorry you've been forced into this situation for so long…"

"…I just wish I never had to deal with him again… I just wish my father was here instead, taking care of me and being an actual father." She wiped the tears off her face, gasping for breath as she grabbed a water bottle from her closet.

Lyra steeled her eyes, "You know what? I'm going to take your phone back from him. It belongs to you, not him! And you know what else? You shouldn't be forced to live with him any longer. Let's walk out on the man. You're the one who keeps this place afloat, and he's been nothing but a thorn in your side. If you walk out on him, all his money will shrivel up into dust and he'll die a crusty old bastard!" 

"I would if I could…" She said, drinking some water to ease her throat. "Except it'd be impossible to take it away from him without him noticing I'd left my room. Even if I did take it, I'd need a way to get away from here. And even if there was a way for me to escape, I don't have any place to stay."

Lyra gave a cheeky smile, "What if I told you there was a way to accomplish all three of those things?"

"You would do that for me?" she said, taken off guard by her offer.

"It's okay, you don't deserve to live like this any longer. Can you please lend me your hand?"

She nodded, grabbing the small, round hand of the lyre-woman. It was surprisingly warm, despite being made of metal.

"Wave Change! Lyra Note!" Lyra said. Music notes swirled around them, and in an instant, Lyra was gone. "Do you like the new outfit?" Lyra said. Edie looked around, where did she go? "I'm on your back!" Lyra said. Edie grabbed her off her back, raising an eyebrow in surprise over her new form. She was no longer in the shape of a lyre and now was in the shape of a guitar. "Come on, look in the mirror!" she said excitedly

The black shirt she wore was replaced by a soft, pink shirt, with white-striped sleeves and a heart in the middle. There was now a long white scarf covering her neck, wrapping around it tightly. The strangest thing of the transformation was that even her hair color changed. It was now a bright shade of blonde, instead of the white she normally had.

"If you don't like how it looks, we could change it if you'd like."

She shook her head, "I think it's fine, actually. Thank you." She smiled, the new look felt a little refreshing to her. Maybe she should wear outfits like this more often. "So how are we going to escape and get my phone back, Lyra?"

"Well, I was thinking we should start by jumping out the window," Lyra replied casually.

She blinked, "Wait, what? You want me to jump out the window? But we're on the second floor!" 

"Don't worry! It'll be fine, just trust me."

"If you say so…" Edie hopped out of the window, grabbing the ledge before dropping down all the way. Surprisingly, she didn't feel any impact at all when she hit the ground. Infact, she would say that it felt like nothing to her.

"See? It was a cinch," Lyra said with a smile. "Now where is that man's room? If I had to guess, that's where he'd most likely have your phone hidden."

"It's that one, over there," she answered, pointing to the room on the other side of the mansion which had its window open. 

"Simple!" Lyra made her crouch, before making her jump into the air. They shot all the way up to the window, with Edie catching on to it and pulling themselves up.

"Woah! Hehehehe!" she giggled, stumbling into the room. Looks like her new clothes didn't just look cute, they also seemed to grant her some kind of power.

"Now, let's find your phone, sweetie!" she said as they started to dig around Arundel's room.

Edie checked under one of the cabinets under his PC, finding her phone inside of it. "Found it!" Edie said, putting it in her pocket.

"Wooh! Nice job!" Lyra cheered, "Now let's run!" Unfortunately, just as Edie stretched her calf over the windowsill, she heard stomping coming from the other side of the door. Arundel barged in, giving her a furious glare.

"Edelgard? What are you doing? _Why are you not in your costume,_ _and WHY ARE YOU NOT IN YOUR ROOM!?"_

Well she wasn't doing isometric exercise, she could tell him that. Edie huffed as she pulled her leg back in, firing a scowl back at him. "It's Edie, and I'm not going to listen to you anymore."

"Oh yes you will! I spent eight years raising you and this is how you repay me?" Arundel got into her face, trying to intimidate her like he used to.

"Is that what you call raising? You tricked me into signing a contract that gave you all the money I earned when I was a kid! You never even cared for me! You only cared for yourself and used me for your own selfish gains!" Arundel put a hand on her arm, only for her to grab it back, throwing it off of her. She wasn't going to let his intimidation tactics work on her anymore. She was older now, and she had Lyra supporting her. She was done with him, he would no longer have any hold on her life.

"Don't make me do something you'll regret!" Arundel shouted. He grabbed her by the arm again, raising his fist at her. She raised her other hand defensively, clenching her teeth as she prepared to dodge.

"Listen here, you old lout! Hands off her!" Lyra charged two pink blasts, firing them off into Arundel's chest before he could attack.

"Gahhhh!" Arundel screamed as he collapsed in pain. "Ahhh-ahhh-ahh..."

"Have another!" Lyra said, firing a second round while he was down.

"Ahhhh!" he screamed again, even louder than the first.

"Hmph, that's what you get you monster! Do you want to get a hit in, Edie?"

She looked down at the now shriveled, sad ex-manager in front of her. "You're not even worth the effort. Enjoy a nice life, old man," she said with a coy smirk of retribution.

"Ooh, did you hear that, old guy? She said you're not worth the effort!" Lyra turned to her, "We got what we came for! Let's go, sweetie!"

"I was thinking the same thing." She jumped back down the window, running out of the mansion before any of Arundel's goons could follow her. She sprinted away, twisting around the corners of the city as she escaped. She noticed just how long and fast she was able to run. It was as if there were no limits to her stamina; she could run forever if she wanted to.

"So sweetie, now what do you want to do?" Lyra asked.

"Hmm… I think I'd like to go to my concert." The first thing she wanted to do was to go see her new friend, to tell her the good news. She weaved past a small crowd, surprising everyone as she zipped by.

"Are you sure? What if that man spots you there?"

She giggled, replaying the blasts to his chest in her mind. "I don't think he'll be able to walk after what you did to him."

"Oh I see. You'll be doing a bold move, Edie, but let's do it!" she said. Edie slowed her pace, they were now a fair distance away from Arundel, so they didn't need to be as urgent.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me back there. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"Umm… Well, if you really want to pay me back, then I think there is a way you can help me! I have been searching for someone as of late. They have a key I'm looking for, but they refuse to give it to me. And I lack the power to take it back on my own, so would you please help me?"

Edie nodded her head, "Is that all? Where do we need to go?"

"Thank you sweetie, after this we'll head straight to your concert!" Lyra led her through the city, making their way to their destination, Echo Ridge. This was perfect, it was in the same place that she had to be.

* * *

Edie passed her back her phone, leaving her house before she could process what happened. She looked down at her Transer, seeing a picture of the white-haired girl next to her own icon. "Did she just… make a Brotherband with me? Just like that?"

Rock came out of her room, "So wait, what's going on? Remind me, what's a Brotherband again?" 

"It's a program that's built into every phone nowadays. It lets you add your closest friends to a list, that way you can call them anytime, text them, or just see what they're doing." She gave him a shrug, "At least, that's what most people use them for."

"Oh, so she gave you her number. Smooth," Rock said with a laugh.

"Rock! It's not like that!" she said, turning her head away from him. She went back to her room, playing a game Rock had shown her, trying to beat his record. Her Transer made a ping noise, alerting her that someone was texting her. Her eyes lit up, smiling once she read Edie's name. "Oh, she's texting me!" she said.

"Nice, look at you, happy to see your friend."

"I'm just glad she came home safe from her uncle!" she said, hugging herself defensively. She huffed, switching her focus as she talked with Edie. Things were going alright on her end, she was just in her room. Bernie tensed up, however, once she saw that Edie had asked her to come with her concert.

"Hey Rock, umm… can you help me with this?" she said, showing him the text, "Edie wants me to go with her to the concert tonight, what should I say?

Rock took the Transer from her. "Sure kiddo, but are you gonna go or not?"

"…I don't know," she said, hugging her elbows. "I've never been to a concert before. They seem scary, with all those people and loud music. But, she did say it was important to her. And she did say she needed a friend… Plus, knowing how horrible her uncle is… I don't think I want her to go through this alone…" she took a breath, finalizing her answer, "Okay, I'll do it for her."

"Alright, I've sent a reply for you. Good luck on your date, kiddo."

Bernie's face turned a bright shade of red, "It's not a date! We are just hanging out!"

"So when a girl gives you her number and invites you to a concert _and_ offers to pay for you, it isn't dating? Am I really on Earth?"

Bernie grumbled as she buried herself in a couch pillow, "You're a meanie!" was the only thing she could fight back with.

"So, when and where's the concert?" Rock said, still laughing.

Her face started to calm down, as she lifted her head out of the pillow. "It's tonight at nine, at the mall," she said, getting off the couch and heading to her room. "I'm going to go do homework and nap before the concert, okay?"

"Sure kiddo, I'll still be here when you get back."

Bernie nodded, closing the door behind her as she got to work. She groaned. All she had was her math homework to worry about, but that just happened to be her worst subject. She'd trade math for anything, especially science or writing. Those two were her strongest subjects, she had straight A's in both of them.

But work was work, so she had to do it. She got on her computer, mindlessly doing her assignments for the rest of the day.

* * *

The kiddo fell asleep early, making sure she had the energy for the concert. It was about eight-thirty when his armband started to ring again. Lyra must have wanted something. He checked outside, it wasn't as dark as when he went out yesterday, but it still looked relatively safe to go out. He bolted out the door and into the sky, finding out that the signal was much closer than it was last time. It was coming from a school this time, the kiddo's school most likely judging by its proximity. He dropped down onto the rooftop, locking eyes with Lyra, who was waiting for him in the center.

"Lyra, are you looking to fight again?" he said, raising his claw. "I'm warning you, you should back out before things get uglier."

"Hello again, Rock," Lyra said, crossing her arms. "I'll ask one last time: give me the key, and we won't have to fight."

"And I'll answer it the same way I did the last time. I'm not giving it up no matter what!"

"I guess I have no other choice," Lyra ran behind the elevator leading to the lower levels of the school, making a wave of pink light and music notes float upwards. "Wave change! Lyra Note!"

His mouth dropped at the sight, "What?!" Oh crap, that wasn't a good sign.

Lyra approached him once more, having merged with some girl. "Are you sure this is the right person we're looking for?" her partner said. Her partner looked extremely familiar, but Rock couldn't pinpoint who she was.

"He's the one! He stole the Key to Andromeda from us! We need to bring it back to Planet FM!" Lyra now took the form of the guitar in the girl's hands. The girl fiddled with the tuning keys, staring him down with composed yet determined eyes.

"Then you'll have to forgive me, but I made a promise to her that I'd take it back," the girl raised her guitar and rested it behind her shoulder, and suddenly Lyra morphed into a very large, very heavy-looking axe. The girl flourished it around in one hand, before gripping it like a baseball bat.

"Oh crap," he said as she charged at him. He blocked her first swing with his arm, sliding backwards from the force. He grunted in pain; he could feel the boost in power Lyra's fusion gave her just from that one hit.

"Give it up Rocky! Or do you want us to keep fighting?" Lyra shouted as the girl idly strummed the axe-guitar.

"Grr… I said it once and I'll say it again! Nobody is going to take the key from me!"

"Why won't you give it up?" Lyra asked. There was a hint of desperation in her voice, as if she was asking the question out of concern for him.

He still wasn't going to answer, bolting back where he came. "Gotta get to the kid, quickly!" he said to himself. He was no match for them in the state they were in now. Sure, alone he was stronger all-around when compared to Lyra in a fight. But with them fused together, he could sense they were stronger and more durable. And with that axe Lyra transformed into, they had a sizeable reach advantage he lacked with his claws. He needed to Wave Change if he was going to stand a chance.

"No you don't!" the girl said, firing off a set of silver threads from her guitar. They wrapped around his arm, pulling him backward and keeping him from getting away.

"Where are you going?" Lyra said with a cheeky smile as she wrapped a second set of strings at his other arm. "Now, sweetie!" the girl yanked the strings backwards, dragging him back towards her. She jumped into the air, releasing the strings the instant she delivered a blow to his head. He was sent flying towards the ground, sliding backwards across the dirt.

"Ghh!" he grunted, raising his palm as he slid. "Take this!" He fired off an energy blast as Lyra landed on the ground. The girl blocked it with her own arm, shrugging it off as she kept giving chase. 

"Damn!" He said as he kicked off the ground as he blitzed back to the house. Her partner caught up with him, kicking him in the chest and sending him backwards and to the ground again. She followed it up with a heavy swing of her axe, one he barely managed to catch at the shaft with hands at the shaft.

"Don't you care about FM? Don't you want to protect it?"

"If I didn't care about you guys, I would've never done what I did!"

"You did it for us? What do you…" Lyra faltered, giving him a split second to attack. He clawed the both of them, breaking the clash as they defended themselves.

"Sweetie! Are you okay?" Lyra said, prioritizing the girl's safety. He used the time he bought to look around, finding that he'd been kicked just in range of his house. "Yes!" he shot towards the balcony, throwing the door open as he shook the sleeping kiddo. "Kiddo, wake up!"

"Whaa?!" she squeaked, waking up.

"Wave Change! Warrock!" he said, fusing with her and pulling her out of bed.

Bernie checked out her clothes, even more confused. "Whaa?"

"We're under attack kiddo! Get ready!"

"Huh? Hey-!" He pulled her out the window and into the yard, "Incoming!" he said, alerting her in time for her to sidestep backwards to dodge a pink blast fired their way. "Get ready!" he told her as he aimed at where they fired from. She held him steady, firing off a shot at their attacker. "Whaa?" 

The girl dodged the bullet, as Lyra narrowed her eyes, "So you've Wave Changed too, huh? Well it doesn't matter! We're getting that key from you!" Lyra said. The girl raised her arm up in the air, playing with a pick in her hand. Two speakers appeared to the left and right of her as she brought the pick down to her axe-guitar.

"Get ready to run kiddo!" he yanked the kiddo away as Lyra's partner played a fast string of chords. The speakers fired a spray of energy bullets at them, tracking their movements as they sprinted away. They hid behind the cover of the vending machine from earlier, sticking his head out as he charged a blast.

"Got it!" He fired the shot, taking out the left speaker with an explosion, blasting their enemy and taking them by surprise. "Now!" he said, jumping into the air towards them as he charged another shot to finish the job. The girl raised Lyra upwards to defend herself, as Lyra charged her own shot to fire back. He bit the axe-guitar, nearly firing off the bolt before Lyra's partner suddenly spoke up.

"Bernie? Bernie is that you?" she said, her grip on her axe weakening.

Bernie gasped as she looked into the girl's eyes, "Edie? Why are you attacking us?"

"Lyra! Stop fighting!" the girl called out.

Lyra immediately stopped her attack. Seeing that they backed down, he unclenched his jaw, waiting to see what would happen.

"What's wrong, sweetie? Did something happen?" Lyra said.

"Lyra… I can't fight her." the girl said, backing away from them.

"What? Why not?"

"Because she's my friend." The two of them defused, revealing the girl to be the one that the kiddo made friends with. Bernie made a quiet squeak, getting flustered at hearing Edie's words. "I'm sorry Lyra, but I cannot keep fighting if it means I must fight her."

"Friend? Oh dear… I hadn't realized…" Lyra stared at the ground guiltily, taking a step backwards in shame. "Ohh… I'm sorry too. I won't be fighting anymore either. I can't hurt them, not if it means it'll hurt you."

Rock crossed his arms, "So what are you going to do now? If I know Gemini, you won't be able to return to FM empty-handed. And if he finds out that you refused to fight me, then he'd start going after you too. You'll be a fugitive on the run, just like me."

"If that is what I must do, then so be it," Lyra said. "But I promised Edie here that I would help her out. She's been through a lot, you know? I want to make sure she stays safe from now on," she turned around to face the girl. "I'm so sorry for dragging you into this mess, Edie. Could you forgive me?"

Edie shook her head. "Had I known I'd have to fight Bernie from the start, I don't think I could have fought. But, you have been so much help to me. Of course I'll forgive you."

"Thank you sweetie…" Lyra said, sharing a tender looking hug with her.

"What's next for the two of you?" he asked them.

Lyra blinked, before gasping as she suddenly realized something. "Ah! Oh my! Rock, may I talk to you for a second? Just us two?"

"Go ahead," he said, letting her lead him away from them.

Lyra whispered nervously, "I promised Edie I would find her a place to stay. Do you think you could help me?"

"What?" he said, shocked. "You can't be serious, you mean to tell me that you didn't have a plan for that?"

"I'm sorry! But I got too into wanting to kick that shithead named Arundel! Please Rock, she needs this! I'll pay you back any way I can!" Lyra pleaded with her hands, desperately trying to get him to accept.

He huffed a breath of air, "Yeah, I can understand that. If I had the chance, I would've punched him or thrown a rock at his head the second I met him. Fine then, let me ask the girl, it's her house." He called for her, "Kiddo, Edie needs a place to stay, can we let her stay in your house?" he whispered in her ear once she walked over to him.

The girl stammered, her face turning red, "M-my house?! But that means I'd have to see her everyday! Rock, you know I'm not good with people!" She then took a deep breath, exhaling with a sigh, "But… I wouldn't turn her away, especially knowing what her uncle is like. Okay, I'll do it."

"Umm. Edie?" she said, calling over the white-haired girl. "You could stay at my house, if you'd like."

"You'd let me into your home? And I wouldn't have to live with my uncle anymore?" In that moment, Edie looked terrified, as if ready to cry. It was most likely that she wasn't used to being treated so kindly, judging from what he could gather from what Lyra said and what he knew.

"Of course, you need a place to s-stay right? I'll let you stay here for as long as you like. That way, you won't have to worry about your uncle anymore."

Tears flowed down Edie's eyes, hitting the ground. She pulled Bernie close to her, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, thank you so much, Bernie." 

"Eep!" the kiddo squeaked as she melted into a puddle. Despite that, she still hugged her back, giving her a wide smile as she wiped Edie's cheeks. _Aww, she finally made a friend._

Their hug was cut short by Edie's phone starting to ring. She turned it on, her eyes widening as she saw the time, "Oh crap! That's the alarm for the concert!"

"It's nine already? We have to get going everyone!" Bernie said, grabbing Edie by the arm as the four of them rushed towards the mall.

* * *

Edie opened the entrance door for her, as they sprinted towards the first floor. If Bernie remembered correctly, that was where the stage area for concerts was. They climbed up the staircase, skipping the escalators to shave off seconds. The concert area was completely stacked, filled to the brim with excited fans for whichever person was playing tonight.

"Okay, so the ticket counter is over there… Hey-!" Instead of going to the booth, Edie pulled her towards the backstage. "Wait, why are we going there?" Bernie asked.

One of the crew men walked over to them, pacing around anxiously. "Edie! Are you okay? Why are you late, who is she and where is your uncle? We've been looking for him all day, and now our sponsors are getting antsy."

"I'm okay, thank you for asking," Edie nodded, pointing to her, "This here is Bernie, we got a little sidetracked on accident. As for Arundel, he's come down with a bad stomach ache, I don't think he'll be able to come. But he said not to worry about him, and that we should continue the concert as normal," Edie said, smiling when she mentioned Arundel's stomach ache. 

The crewman nodded, checking off a box on his clipboard as he spoke, "Alright, fair enough. Someone get her friend a backstage pass. As for you, Edie, go change into your outfit. I think we can delay the opening by another 15 minutes while you set up." 

Bernie blinked, "W-wait. Edie, you're telling me you got me a backstage pass?"

"Well yea, she's the one who's playing the concert. Of course she can do that." The crewman shrugged, calling for one of the stagehands.

She blinked again, "Wh-wh-what? Edie, you're the singer?"

"Are you surprised?" Edie said, giving her a teasing smile.

"Oh my god…" She just made friends with a singer, and didn't even realize it.

Edie dragged her to the backstage, heading towards the dressing room. "Wish me luck Bernie," she said.

"Yea okay…" Bernie waved her off, covering her face as she sat down on one of the chairs, blushing in embarrassment. Her phone started buzzing, she looked down to see Rock texting to Lyra.

"Rock: Oh man, I did not see this coming!"

"Lyra: Let's hope she does well, Rocky!"

She didn't say anything to them, still dumbfounded and in shock over the revelation. Edie got out of the changing room, showing off a cute, black and red outfit. "Well, do you like it? Does it suit me?"

"Yea…! Yea… I really do… it really does," she said. Edie really did look cute in the outfit, but right now her brain was barely working.

One of the crew members started clapping loudly, grabbing everyone's attention. "Alright everyone! Show's starting!"

"Wish me luck Bernie!" Edie said, passing her phone to her. "Hold Lyra for me so she can watch too, please?" Edie headed out to the stage, taking her guitar with her.

"Sure…" she said absentmindedly, watching her leave to start the show. She just sat there, zoning out until Rock and Lyra spoke up.

"Come on kiddo! Let's get going!"

"Yea Bernie, let's watch her do this!"

"Eep, r-right!" she stammered, snapping herself out of it. She made her way to the backstage area, watching as Edie announced her presence. 

"Hello everyone! I'm very glad you all came!" she said. The crowd screamed, cheering loudly at her arrival.

"Yeaaaa! Woooo! Go Edie!" Was that Caspar's voice? Bernie looked around, picking the blue-haired young man in the crowd. He was wearing a black T-shirt that read "The Black Eagles," on it in white letters, with a white silhouette of an eagle behind the letters. He was standing up, spinning a second copy of the same shirt. The others were there too, all wearing matching clothes and showing the same enthusiasm. Bernie felt a little bad that she didn't get to come with them, but put the thought behind as the lights dimmed, signaling the start of the show.

Edie gave it her all, shining the brightest smile as she rocked out. The crowd roared and cheered all throughout the show, growing more excited with each and every song she played. Bernie was rather glad she was standing in the backstage, as she didn't want to be caught in the middle of all that shouting.

"Thank you everyone for coming," Edie said as she finished the latest song. She tapped on her microphone, signaling for things to quiet down. "Now, before the show ends, I have one final announcement to make. Tonight will be my final concert before I retire." 

The crowd gave a loud, collective gasp. "Yes, it pains me to leave as well. I very much enjoyed my career as a musician, but I believe it's time for me to take a step back from everything. Perhaps in the future I may one day stand on the stage once more, but for now, this will be my final goodbye." Edie readied her guitar, and began to play a very energetic, melancholic and bittersweet song.

"Reach for my hand,  
I'll soar away  
into the dawn  
Oh, I wish I could stay. 

Here in cherished halls,  
in peaceful days,  
I fear the edge of dawn  
knowing time betrays…" 

Edie poured her heart out, singing the song she practiced in the morning. She left the crowd with a mixture of feelings. Many in the crowd cheered their hardest, wanting to give a happy sendoff. Others gave heartfelt sobs, tearful over the loss of their favorite musician. As for Bernie, who had only really learned about Edie today, she simply smiled, enjoying Edie's performance. 

"Thank you! Good night!" Edie said as the crowd gave a final cheer. She raised a fist into the air, running off the set to the backstage.

Bernie clapped and cheered for her, "You did great out there!"

Edie smiled, "You really think so?"

Rock congratulated her through the phone, "Of course! I hope all the other concerts I go to will be half as good as this one!" 

Lyra joined in, clapping for her as well, "I knew you could do it, sweetie!" 

"Thank you, all of you for being here today. I couldn't have done it without you all being here for me." They waited for Edie to pack her things, before making their way to the entrance.

"Are you really going to retire?" Bernie asked as they walked down the steps.

Edie nodded, "It was something I've wanted for a while. For now, I just want to step back and enjoy a normal life. Plus, I don't think I can spend another day under Arundel. It's better if I get away from him as soon as possible." As if on cue, the entrance doors suddenly opened, and a very angry Arundel stormed into the mall.

"Oh he's fucking pissed," Rock said.

"I've had enough of all your games, Edelgard! You are going to pay for what you've done!" he said. Just as he approached them, a man came out of the bathroom, drying his hands on a napkin. He looked up, raising an eyebrow once his eyes landed on Arundel.

"Excuse me, are you Arundel Cardinal?" the man said.

"Yes?" Arundel answered. "What is it, I'm busy."

"My name is Jeralt Eisner, I'm a detective. And I've got orders to put you under arrest." The man pulled out his wallet, showing him a badge that proved he was a member of Satella.

"What? Me?! What have I done wrong?" Arundel's jaw dropped, completely blown away by the detective's words.

The detective pulled out his Transer and read off of a list. "Money laundering, fraud, and several cases of worker mistreatment and misdemeanors. We've been gathering evidence on you for the last six months, and we finally got the last nail in your coffin." Jeralt cuffed Arundel by the hands, escorting him out of the mall, "Come with me, quietly please."

"You!" Arundel shouted at them while he walked away, "Mark my words, Edelgard! I'll have my revenge on you once I get out!"

"We're gonna have to add criminal threats to the list of your crimes. Now stay silent," Jeralt said, putting a hand on his back as the door opened for them to leave.

"Goodbye, Arundel," Edie smiled and waved at him as he entered the police car. He gave a glare to Edie as they drove away, only for her to let out a loud giggle, "Hahahaha! After eight years he's finally out of my life! Can this day get any more perfect? I wish I could hug all of you right now!"

Bernie giggled, "Let's save it for when we get back home, kay?"

* * *

The four of them finally returned home after a very long and stressful day. Bernie slammed her face into the couch, yawning as she laid herself across it. Getting into a fight just before she had to go to a concert really took the sails out of her. She checked the time, it was nearly midnight. While she might've had the energy for another hour, she just wanted to eat a snack and then crash in her bed.

"Woooh!" Rock said, jacking out of her phone. "What should we do now?"

"Heheh, how about a pizza?" she said. "Although I might be a little tight on cash for a little while…"

"I'll pay for it, it is my retirement party after all." Edie pulled out her phone, reading the fridge magnet that had her favorite pizza place's number on it. "It'll be here in twenty-five minutes."

"Good," she said. She lazed around until the pizza arrived, getting up and setting it on the table, taking two slices for herself. The others talked with one another, getting to know each other. Once she finished eating, she brushed her teeth, taking her hormones for the night as the others got ready to sleep.

"Okay, so your room is that one, Edie," she said to her, pointing to her mom's old room. It should still have enough space to hold her things.

"Thank you Bernie. And thank you so much for being there for me today." Edie pulled her in as she wrapped her arms around her. She hugged back, flustered but happy for everything her friend accomplished today. 

"Of course Edie." She waved her goodnight, closing the door to her room. She slipped into her pajamas, sliding into bed to doze off for the night.

Rock stared at the roads above, quietly reminiscing to himself on the rooftop.

"Mind if I join in?" Lyra said, hovering above the yard below him.

He shrugged, "Sure, if you want. I'm not gonna stop you." Lyra sat next to him, searching for something up in the sky.

"Do you think we can see FM from here?" she said.

"I know that if you use a telescope, you could probably find it. There should be one in Edie's room."

Lyra looked down at the ground, letting out a sigh, "I do wish I could see it for myself one more time. Now I probably won't get the chance."

He scratched his neck, "I guess we're both in this pit now. Do you have any regrets now that you're a rebel?"

"Not many, to be honest. I don't regret what I'm doing, but I do regret the fact that I'll never get to go home again, and the fact that I've turned all my friends against me…"

"So, we share the same regrets then," he said, scratching his neck again. "So, you're probably still interested in why I stole Andromeda's key, aren't you?"

"Admittedly, I am a little curious, but it's your secret. I'll let you decide when you want to tell me. But can I ask you something else?"

"Go ahead."

"What is the reason you can't say anything? Why can't I know?"

"Well, alright," he said, taking a deep breath. "It's because I know you. If you knew what exactly was happening, you would go out of your way to try to help me no matter what. Then we both would be in the mess that I made."

Lyra shrugged, "Well, we know how that ended up."

"...I just didn't want you or anyone else to have to deal with Gemini. That guy's gained a lot of power and influence in just this year. You'd know what he'd do if he catches us, right? I thought it'd be better to gamble on fighting you all instead of risking your lives by taking you all with me. That way, at least it'll only be me who goes down, and you all would be safe."

Lyra nodded, "So Gemini's the reason you left? I suppose I can see why, then." she got down from the rooftop, opening the window to Edie's room. "Looks like you've found yourself quite the wonderful companion. Promise you'll keep looking after her as well, okay?"

He nodded, "Keep taking care of your kid, we're the ones who wrapped them in our mess, after all."

"Of course! The both of them are sweet girls, let's do our best to keep them safe." Once Lyra was gone, he rested his head on his hands, letting out a seething sigh.

"Gemini…" he said, scowling at the name. No matter what it took, he was going to stop him at all costs.


	3. Grand Theft Hubert

It was a quiet morning for Bernie. The first thing she did was finish the homework for this week as she ate breakfast. Now with that out of the way, she grabbed the book under her pillow and sat on her couch. She really hoped the two girls in this scene would finally kiss each other.  _ It's been seven whole books, when is it gonna happennn? _

"Good morning, Bernie." Out of nowhere, Edie appeared, sitting on the seat beside her and running a hand through the papers of a folder she held.

"Eep!" she squeaked as she closed her book. "Oh, hey Edie." Right, Edie started living with her last night, alongside two other aliens who decided her house would be a good shelter. To be honest, she wasn't prepared to handle having three other people in her house, but they each had good reasons to stay, and she did have the space to hold them. 

Come to think of it, the house seemed quieter than it should have been for four people, especially considering how loud and excitable Rock could get. "Hey Edie? Have you seen Rock and Lyra?"

Edie shook her head, setting the folder down on the table. "I haven't, actually. I had to leave about an hour or so; I was hoping you might've found them before I got back."

"I wonder when they ran off too… Wherever they are, I hope they won't be getting caught." She shrugged her shoulders, picking up Edie's folder. "What's this for?"

"I was getting myself registered to go to school. I actually start tomorrow, do you think you could show me around? I haven't set foot in a school in nearly a decade, I'm curious to see what it's like."

She shook her head. "Sorry, I do homeschooling; I haven't gone to school in three years. I'm guessing you were homeschooled too?"

"That's correct. Because I was always on tour, I had to be homeschooled since I was a child. I enjoyed studying and learning, but not so much the strict tutors my uncle hired and the schedule he put me on. And you? Why were you homeschooled?"

"Well, I just didn't have it in me to keep going to school. Things were just getting too stressful. The classwork was fine, for the most part. But when my mom suddenly died… I… I just kind of broke." Bernie sniffled, hugging herself for comfort. "Talking to other students and teachers… Having to wake up very early in the morning, that stuff began to eat at me piece by piece. I started skipping class to avoid it all. First it was a few days whenever I needed it, but then I just stopped coming to school altogether. Once my teacher noticed, he offered to teach me virtually. After that, the rest is history." She felt a knot twist in her stomach. Edie softly patted her head, giving her a small bit of comfort.

There was a knock at the door. "Excuse me, I'd like to ask some questions," the person at the door said. Edie got out of her seat, peeping through the doorhole.

"It's that detective from yesterday," she said.

"The detective? Oh no, what does he want?" she said as Edie opened the door.

"Hello there-" The detective shook his head, furling his brows when his eyes landed on Edie. "Hey wait, you're Edie Skye, aren't you? My kid loves your music. Happy early retirement, I'll catch up with you in five years."

"Thank you. Now, what do you want?" Edie asked.

"Ah, right. I'm here to investigate the string of incidents that have been occuring in the last few days. We're thinking that there is some kind of connection between the fire and the skirmishes that took place."

Bernie winced, that must've meant he was looking for her.

"A connection? Of what kind?" Edie asked.

"Well, these three incidents have all happened in close proximity to each other. And not only that, each of them gave off strong readings of Z-Waves. Actually, as we speak…" The detective pulled out some kind of black device that started buzzing and beeping once he turned it on. "We're detecting unusual readings coming from around your house. This might be the most amount of Z-waves I've ever come across…"

"Z-waves?" Edie asked.

"Z-waves, they were discovered relatively recently. They're something akin to electromagnetic waves, maybe even a subclass of them. But what makes them so unique is that they can also enter a visible, solid state under certain circumstances. I think the first instance of Z-Waves recorded was about 19 years ago, in very limited amounts. so I'm not surprised if you haven't heard of them. Waxa and Satella are looking to recover sources of Z-waves so we can start researching them." Jeralt moved around in various directions, as the beeping grew louder or quieter depending on where he moved.

"Are you two feeling okay? Some of our researchers suspect that overexposure to Z-waves may have negative side effects, but we aren't so sure. If you could let us know, that'd be great."

"We're absolutely fine, last I checked," Edie said. She turned to Bernie, motioning for her to agree.

"Yep! We're fine!" she said.

"I see, well we'll have to keep doing research anyways, but thanks for the info. And if you ever feel anything funny, please call the doctors or something, keep yourselves safe." Jeralt put the device away into the pocket of his grey jacket. "Now, I do have a few more questions to ask both of you. Were either of you at the arcade during the fire incident? Especially you," he said, pointing to Bernie. "What's your name?"

"Eep! Umm, Bernie?" she said. She could feel herself getting nervous, this detective was trying to find out her secret.

"Well Bernie, there happens to be a witness account of what happened at the arcade. Apparently, a purple haired girl went in and saved the four students who were trapped in there. That girl was also wearing a strange set of glasses. Were you that girl?"

"No I wasn't!" she lied, trying to keep him from finding out. "Besides, wouldn't I have to be really strong to save four people?"

"You're right about that. Someone of your build shouldn't normally be able to carry four people to safety in such a short notice. That's what makes this so confusing… Well, I'm going now. I have more places that need searching. You two take care." The detective headed out, going around the suburb as he continued his investigation.

"Oh thank goodness he's gone!" Lyra said as she popped out of the lamp.

"Eep!" she squeaked in shock. "Why were you hiding?"

Rock jacked out of the light switch, "I'll explain later! First we have to get out of here, quick!"

"Myaa!" she squealed again as Rock went inside her Transer. He pulled her out the door, heading outside as Edie and Lyra followed.

"Kiddo, was the safest place you can think of that's far away enough so that that guy won't be able to chase us down?"

"Amaken? My uncle works there." she said, still confused as to what was going on.

"Then let's take a bus there and go!" He led her to the bus stop and called the bus to Amaken. In an instant, the LeviBus appeared, taking them all the way to North ACDC.

* * *

"So why did we need to get on the bus?" Edie asked.

"Yea, and why were you two hiding?" Bernie asked.

Rock spoke from her friend's Transer. "We need to lay low while that guy's looking for us. And we were hiding because that device he had seems to have the ability to detect us."

The bus stopped. "Alright then. Well, we're at Amaken now, we'll be safe here," Bernie said as they got off the bus and entered the large building up ahead. The whole place was space themed, with a gray and white logo of the Earth on the floor. To the left, a big man sat at a small cafe, eating a toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He wiped his hands on a wet wipe, before adjusting the dark blue hat on his head. On his hat and matching jacket read "Amaken." The man looked up at them, then back at his meal, before looking back up as he leaned backwards in his chair.

"Ah! Bernie! It's so good to see you again!" He wiped his face clean, getting out of his chair to hug her.

"Hi Uncle!" Bernie ran up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She noticed just how tiny her friend looked when compared to the big man infront of her. Bernie's uncle looked up, taking notice of her.

"Bernie is that your friend?"

"Hello there, I'm Edie," she said, shaking his hand.

"Alois Boreal, and thank you so much for being my niece's friend, I think you'll find that Bernie Stelar is a very  _ stellar _ person." His smile grew wide as he laughed at his own joke. A small smile curled at Edie's lips, she couldn't help herself as she let out a snicker through her nose. Bernie joined in, letting out a small giggle.

"So, Bernie, what brings you here?" Alois asked.

"We were trying to get away from some guy who was looking for us, and so I just thought it'd be a good time to check on you and say hi."

"I see, well I hope that guy doesn't bother you again. Thank you for visiting, and you actually came on a good day, too! You remember the museum exhibit I told you about a month ago, right?"

"Mmhm!" Bernie said, nodding excitedly. "Did you finally get everything ready so you can open it?"

"As a matter of fact, it opens today! How about we go take a look at it?"

"Sure!" They made their way over to the right hallway of the institute, when a group of students about her age entered the building. A smile grew on the face of the ginger girl leading the group. 

"Bernie! What a surprise it is to see you here, I was not expecting to see you on this field trip!" she said as the group moved towards her.

Bernie bunched up, waving at her. "Oh, hi Ferdie. I was just here to see my uncle's exhibit."

"Oh right," Alois said. "I forgot to mention that I invited some of your classmates to see the grand opening. I wasn't expecting you to come on the same day though, what a coincidence!"

"Woah-woah-woah-wait…" The cyan-haired boy in the middle of the group went to her. He squinted, raising up a finger. "You're Edie, aren't you? Yo, your music is so good."

"Oh, so you're a fan?" she said with a smile. Retired or not, it did feel good that there were people out there who enjoyed her music.

"Hmm?" Ferdie hummed as her attention shifted to her. "Ah, so she is! Hello there, my name is Ferdie, it's nice to meet you!"

"I told you, Caspar, you should've listened to me when I said her music was good." The green-haired student behind them yawned, lazily waving at her. "Hello there, I'm a person named Lin." 

"Wait, you're Edie the singer? That's so amazing!" The brunette in the back went up to her with an excited smile on her face. "I'm Dorothea, We loved your concert last night! I can't believe you're actually retiring though."

Edie let out a small chuckle, it looks like she stumbled into an entire group of fans. "Yes, well, I think I'll be better off for it. For now, I'm no longer Edie the singer, I just want to be Edie. I hope we all will get along well. Still, thank you for coming to my final concert."

"I hope we make great friends!" Dorothea leaned closer to Bernie, giving her a teasing wink. "So, Bernie? When did you get to be friends with someone as popular as her?"

Bernie's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Umm, yesterday? I didn't even know she was until then though." 

"How could you not know who Edie is? Wait, I guess you do know who Edie is. Still, I bet it's super cool hanging out with a celebrity, isn't it?"

"Umm, maybe?" Bernie said sheepishly.

Bernie's uncle let out a laugh, "It's good to see that you're all in high spirits, but we do have an exhibit to go to. Come on everyone!"

* * *

Her uncle led them inside the museum, finally showing her the finished project. She was happy for him, he completed it after so long! Bernie had a spring in her step as she checked the space museum out, marvelling at all the interesting things her uncle put on display. He had an advanced model of the solar system, and live footage of a satellite playing on one of the TVs, letting them watch it in realtime. He also had the best space telescope she could find, the same model as the one he gave to her for her birthday. He even had models and replicas of various satellites and rocket ships, and even the designs for a space elevator he wanted to make. All this stuff excited her, she felt like she was in a candy store!

Caspar pointed at the green, blue and red satellite models on display. "So, what are these square things with rectangles connecting them?" 

Alois spoke up, "Oh, these are models of-"

"The three Admin Satellites! Pegasus, Leo and Dragon!" she said excitedly.

"That's correct Bernie! Yes, these are the three main satellites that connect and administrate our world together. Now, let me show you my device." Her uncle raised his arm to show them his white Transer, pointing at the small triangle sigil with the small star inside. "This here will actually tell you which satellite your Transer or phone belongs to. Their designs are based on the animals the satellites were named after."

Ferdie raised her Transer, showing off the lion mark on it. "Ah, so mine belongs to Leo!"

"Me and Lin have Dragon," Dorothea said, showing off the dragon symbol.

"I've got Pegasus, it seems." Edie flipped her phone around, letting them see the horse icon on the underside. 

"Same here!" Caspar said, raising his Transer. "Hey, why does Bernie's have an entirely different symbol?" He pointed at the Transer resting on her left arm. "See, it's the same as her necklace."

"Ah, that's because her mother and I worked on this one together. This one is completely custom made for her; it's a little more advanced than the ones you might find in stores. That star was actually used for the scrapped fourth Admin Satellite. But it's nothing more than a personal touch at this point."

"There was a fourth satellite?" Bernie said in awe. "Wow, I never knew about that one."

"Yes, well, we called it Cepheus during the early stages of development, but unfortunately it had an early grave and was never finished. I'm sure the prototype is back in Waxa. I'll have to go check some time soon." Alois gestured for the others to follow, when Rock raised her hand, typing something into the Transer.

_ Let's find someplace quiet, I need to talk to you about something important. _

"I need to go use the bathroom, is that okay?" she asked her uncle as an excuse.

"Of course, Bernie."

She made her way out of the museum and into the bathroom. She hid herself inside the big stall, letting Rock pop out of her Transer. Rock was furling his eyebrows, seemingly deep in thought.

"What's wrong, Rock?" she asked.

"There's something strange about the names of the satellites he mentioned."

"Aren't they just animal names?" 

"Alone, sure, but together in that order? There's just something in the back of my head telling me that those three names are important, but I don't know why…" He closed his eyes, trying to think. "But those three names aren't the ones that got me thinking. It's the fourth one, Cepheus, that's prodding at me."

"Why?"

"Because Cepheus is the name of King Cepheus, the ruler of Planet FM. Why is there a satellite named after him, and why was it defunct? And if that one was named after Cepheus, then who are the other three named after? This raises more questions than it answers..." Rock scratched his head with a finger. "Gahhh, I just wish I could remember who they were. You should head back to your uncle now. If I come up with something I'll tell you." Rock closed the cover of her Transer, letting her go back to the museum. 

"Wahhh!" Suddenly she heard screaming as she walked by the front entrance. Bernie looked outside to find a man falling from the sky! 

"Oh no!" she said, rushing outside towards him. "Are you okay?" she said, trying to pull him up by the hand.

The man slapped her hand out of the way. "What are you doing?!"

"Eep! Sorry, I was just trying to help!" 

"Hmph," the man scoffed, brushing his black suit as he got up. His green eyes, sunken from a lack of sleep, were hardened and distrusting of her. His pencil thin eyebrows narrowed as he gave her an eerie, skeptical stare. Bernie felt herself tensing up, finding the man she tried to rescue somewhat intimidating. It was like he was some kind of gothic-vampire. "It is only a couple of scrapes that I received. Now if you excuse me, I must be going back inside." He picked up some kind of backpack with wings that was beside him, taking it with him as he opened the door.

"What's that backpack for?" she asked out of curiosity.

"It's confidential, there is nothing you need to know about it."

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking that maybe my uncle might've made it."

"Your uncle?" He turned around back to her. "Do you mean Alois? He must have told you that he was the one who invented it, didn't he?"

"Umm, no," she said, bunching her arms up. "I-I just thought that since he runs the place he might've made it himself…"

"I see, hmph. Well good day." The man went back inside, heading up the steps to the second floor.

Rock flipped up her transer cover, "That guy seemed like he had a stick up his butt."

"Rock! That's rude!" she chided him.

"But it's true, isn't it?"

"Yea, but… I mean he was a little mean..."

"I wonder what his deal is. Does he think you're out to get him?" Rock shrugged. "Well, it's not our job to pry. Come on, your uncle's probably waiting for you."

She returned to the museum to find her uncle having already finished most of the tour. "Alright, that concludes most of the tour! But before we leave, would anyone like to see the inside of my workshop?"

"Yes!" she squeaked out as she caught up to them. Her uncle let out a heartfelt laugh, leading them out of the museum and to the second floor of the building where a very tall, spacious room awaited them.

* * *

_ It was back to the drawing board with this version _ , Hubert thought. He took his lifelong dream, the Flap Pack, and hung it on the coat rack next to his workspace. "What was the issue this time, the wingspan? The weight? An error in the coding? I'll need my designs and my research if I want to fix this issue…"

"Ah, Hubert! I'm going to show my niece's friends the workshop, is that okay with you?" Alois said as he entered the workplace they shared.

"I'll be outside if you need me then." He wrapped up his materials, heading out the back door. He laid his materials on the outside table, sketching a redesign of the Flap Pack immediately.

"Don't trust him…" he heard someone say behind him. 

"Who's there?! What do you want?" Hubert got out of his seat, looking around for the source.

"Take my powers... Hubert."

"How do you know my name?"

"It should be obvious why I know  _ our _ name, Hubert." The speaker poked its head from behind the wall of the exit, revealing itself to be not a human but some kind of swan like creature. It's body consisted mostly of blue energy, alongside some white plating at the stomach and head areas. "I'm a reflection of your inner self," it said.

"My inner self is a swan made out of blue energy." That actually made him chuckle. "What makes you think I'd believe that?"

"...You're afraid of heights aren't you?" the swan said, completely taking him by surprise.

"How did you-"

"And you're making the Flap Pack to overcome that, right?" The swan smiled, knowing that he was correct.

"Ghh!" He flinched, bringing his arm to his face. Whatever this creature was, it could read what he was thinking. Was it really his inner mind as it said it was?

"Just let me in, and I'll lend you my powers… You can use them to take back what's rightfully yours…"

"What's rightfully mine? What do you mean…"

"Take a look inside…"

Hubert creeped his head back into the workshop, hiding behind the row of lockers. He could barely make out Alois talking to a group of people, presumably those students.

"This here is the… Pack… I… created it!"

"What?!" Hubert said as he rushed back out. "No! No he can't! He didn't!" 

The swan slowly circled around him. "You see? You can't trust him… He'll only betray you again… Take your designs back, and make your own research institute. With my powers, no one will ever be able to betray you again…"

"This is just like before…" 

"Yes… Just like before…" The swan raised its wing, offering it to him. "Do we have a deal?"

Hubert hesitated. He was not the type of person to easily give his trust away, least of all some kind of alien goose. But between the man who had betrayed his trust, and the being that promised him the power to take back what was his, it seemed that the latter option was the clear choice. He took the hand of the swan, and together they were bathed in a bright blue light.

* * *

Bernie’s eyes sparkled as she put down the radio pack her uncle made on his desk, looking through the other things he had. She was proud of him, he had so many blueprints detailing designs for future inventions, as well as documents that held massive proposals to improve Amaken. Thrilled by the sight of all these plans, she shifted through them until one particular document caught her eye. It looked withered and old, but on a corner of the page was a tiny drawing of her pendant.

“Ah, so you found Celsi’s old notes on Brotherbands!” Alois stood behind her, looking down at the desk. He cleared away the surrounding documents as he raised the document to her eye level. On the back read "Brotherband v0.03, Celsi Stelar." 

“My mom was the one who made the Brotherbands?” 

“Did I not tell you before? Strange, must have slipped my mind. Well, yes! Celsi was the one who first proposed the Brotherband system. She wanted to create a system that created a bond unlike anything else, believing that the relationships people form between one another could surpass all." Her uncle patted her on the shoulder. "You know, Bernie…" 

"Yea?" she answered.

Her uncle gave her the tightest, warmest hug he'd ever given her. "I'm very proud of you, you finally made a friend!"

"Oh, yeah, hehe. Thank you uncle," she said, returning the hug. Her face burned, but hearing her uncle say that he was proud of her made something inside her light up.

“Preposterous,” a voice echoed out from within the lab. “Relationships? Bonds to surpass all? What foolish ideals.”

“Kiddo!” Rock yelled out, “Watch out!”

A sharp feather shot at them from out of nowhere, just barely missing her uncle' head. They were greeted by a tall, thin and lean man in a blue and white jumpsuit. His skin tone was an unusual shade of pale-blue, and his jumpsuit had a white hoodie in the shape of a swan covering his head. He hovered above them, keeping himself in the air with the two wings on his back. Rock growled from within the transer, he knew exactly what FM-ian held that kind of gaudy design.

"Who are you? How did you manage to fly?" Though shaking at the legs, her uncle moved in front of everyone, trying to shield them from harm.

"...The man I used to be is long gone now. You may know me as Cygnus Wing," the man said, ignoring the other question.

"What do you want with us?"

"What I want is to weed out those who have betrayed me. Those like you." He raised his arm, preparing to fire another razor feather at them.

"Like me? What have I done?"

"You know what you've done, thief." Hubert said. The backdoor swung wide open, and Edie sprinted into the room, opening up with a slash from Lyra. She had already transformed into Lyra Note, taking Cygnus head on.

"Hmm?!" Cygnus raised his leg, blocking the blade with his foot. He kicked the blade backwards before flying into the air, crossing his arms at them as he kept himself aloft.

"Lyra, Warrock, so you've finally come out of hiding." Cygnus raised his arm, flaring his wings as if swinging a cape behind his back. "I'm sure you know that His Majesty does not take kindly to traitors. I'm to dispose of you two immediately." He dove downwards at Edie, aiming a kick at her side.

"I'm sorry, Cyggy, but that won't be happening today," Lyra said with a smile. Edie caught the attack with Lyra, pushing him backwards as Lyra fired off a blast of energy. Cygnus flew into the air, missing the attack entirely. The others watching were completely stunned by the sudden fight breaking out. She quickly used this as a diversion, quietly slipping through the backdoor before anyone could notice her. 

"Wave Change! Warrock!" She and Rock fused together, rushing back into the fight. She fired a bolt at Cygnus as she ran to defend her uncle and the others. Cygnus backflipped over the blast, firing off a wave of razor-sharp feathers in their direction.

"Help!" Ferdie screamed. She turned around, seeing her shield her face as a stray feather shot towards her.

"Ferdie!" She shouted as she dashed over to her, picking her up just before the feather cut her in the chest.

"Huh? Roll, you're here?" Ferdie said with scared, red cheeks.

"Eep! Yes, that's m-me." She gently put her down, letting her stand upright. "Look, there's no time to explain! You have to get out of here now! Don't worry about us, we'll protect you!"

"So then it wasn't a dream… Thank you, Roll. I'm going now! Come on everyone!" Ferdie led the other's out of the museum, allowing them to fight without having to worry about them. 

With that out of the way, she jumped back into the fight, firing another bolt at Cygnus. Cygnus backflipped again, entering a spin before nose diving down at her. "Dancing Swan!"

"Kiddo!" Rock shouted as he pulled her out of the way. "Gotch-!" Rock bit him in the shoulder, but the force of Cygnus's spin sent the two of them to the ground. "Oww!" Rock said as he hit his chin on the floor.

"Gahh!" Cygnus flew back into the air, clutching his shoulder as he fired off more feathers at them. She dodged out of the way, shooting another bolt that he ducked under. He tried to dive at her, only to be stopped when silver strings crept up behind him, wrapping him by the legs. Edie pulled him downwards, slamming him to the ground as she ran at him.

"You think this is enough to keep me down? Dancing Swan!" Cygnus got up and spun rapidly in place, pulling Edie towards him before kicking her in the face. Edie blocked some of the impact with Lyra and her other arm, kicking back at him in the leg before recalling her silver strings and backing away.

"Excuse me, excuse me? Can anyone hear me?" The speaker turned on, filling the room with what sounded like her uncle's voice.

"Unc-… Alois? Is that you?" She had to catch herself, she almost let it slip that she was his niece. She fired off another blast at Cygnus, trying to aid Edie as she fought.

"That man you're fighting… I think that's my assistant, Hubert."

"The one who made the backpack with wings?"

"Yes! Exactly! Why is he attacking us?"

"Do you know anything that might have made him do this?"

"He started calling me a thief before you started fighting. But I have never stolen an invention in my life! I don't know what's gotten into him!"

"Well if you want my opinion, I think he's possessed or something," Rock said. 

"Possessed? Well how do we snap him out of it?"

"I think we might have to beat the crap out of him until he goes down."

"Oh no… Please, whatever you do, keep yourselves safe, and please bring Hubert back to his senses!"

"You got it," Rock said, readying himself to fight. "So, kiddo, it's time to go buck wild." Rock began charging a full-powered blast. "Get ready!"    


Cygnus spun around at an incredible speed, diving at them one last time. His speed left her no time to dodge this time, instead blocking with her arms as he crashed into her stomach, knocking her down and stealing her breath. "Kyahh!"

"I'll personally see to it that your crimes won't go unpunished, Warrock. When you wake up, we'll already be at FM." Cygnus walked up to her, raising his leg all the way up, as he prepared to deliver an axe kick at full force. Just before he swung down, however, both of his legs were suddenly bound by Edie's silver strings.

"Do it now!" Edie said as she pulled the cords to prevent him from moving, buying her just enough time to get back on her feet.

"Rock Buster!" Rock shouted as he fired off the giant blast. At point-blank range, Cygnus barely had any time to dodge out of the way, taking a massive hit to the side of his chest.

"Gahuh!" Cygnus choked out as he collapsed to the ground. He could barely keep himself on his knees, holding himself up with his hands. "Grrrr… my grip on him is weakening…"

The speaker turned on again. "Hubert! Hubert listen to me!"

"Alois?" Hubert answered. "What do you want? Have you come to rub your betrayal in my face? Or maybe you're here to laugh at my loss."

"What? No! Hubert, I never betrayed you! Please, stop fighting!"

Hubert clenched his teeth, shooing Alois off with his hand. "Don't lie to me, I heard you telling those students that my Flap Pack was your design! This is my graduation all over again!" 

"I never said that, I said that it was your project and that I was proud of you! I could never betray your trust like that! You're my assistant, my friend!"

"Bernie's uncle is right, dude!" Caspar said on the mic. "We can vouch him! He was just telling us how cool your backpack was!"

"Yea! Caspar's telling the truth, Hubert!" Dorothea added. "You have to believe them!"

"Then… was all this for nothing?" Hubert looked down at the ground, letting out a breath of regret. "Perhaps I was too hasty in my judgement…"

"You've been tricked, Hubert! Snap out of it!" 

"Hahh… maybe I should, stop…" Hubert said. He pulled himself up, only to be forced back down. "No! I will not lose control of your body!" It seemed like Cygnus and Hubert were fighting with each other, desperate to wrest control of their body from the other.

"Hnng… gahhh… give me… my body back… now!" Hubert arched his back, pressing his hands on his head. "You will not!" Cygnus dug deeper into his head, pulling him back down. He put his hands back on the ground, going completely silent and still.

"Don't think you can have your body back, fool." Cygnus got off his feet, giving them an evil-looking glare. "Hehehehe, he's much more resilient than I gave him credit for, but no matter, he's gone now." Hubert flared his arms as he laughed maniacally. "Ahahahaha! You two may have won this day, but I'll be taking this body with me!" He sucker-punched her with a kick to the stomach, flooring her as he escaped out the window.

"Khh!" Bernie let out as she collapsed to her knees.

Edie jumped after him, heading out the window in close pursuit. "Hey! Come back here!"

"Come on, kiddo, get up!" Rock picked her off the ground, following after them. They quickly found out that they were too late, however, finding not a single trace of any of them.

"Damn! He's already slipped away into the city!" Rock broke their fusion, pulsing back into her Transer. "We'll have to wait for those two to return. In the meantime, let's go check on the others."

* * *

The two of them went back inside to the upstairs lounge. There, she found the rest of them waiting for her. Her uncle rushed up to her, giving the tightest, worried hug he could make. "Bernie! I'm so glad you're safe! Where have you been?"

"I uhh, managed to sneak away to call for help. Are you all safe?" she said, ignoring the pain from how tight the hug was. Her uncle let go of her, shaking his head as he sat on one of the lounge couches with a pained look.

"Yes we are, and it's all thanks to Roll and the other girl," Ferdie said. "I'm especially thankful that Roll saved me from that feather. Bernie, did you happen to see them while you headed over here?"

"Yea! And did you see how those two fought? That girl with the axe was like, so cool! I wish I had that kind of power. I would've clobbered that bird-nerd!" Caspar started punching the air, mimicking the motions of an axe swing.

"Umm, nope!" she lied. "Sorry, I guess I must have missed them."

"That's a shame, really. I'd like to know who they were. They went out of their way to save our lives like true heroes. I want to personally thank the both of them."

"I want to thank them too! It's not every day two adorable looking women come to rescue you!" Dorothea sighed, staring at the ground before looking up with a smile that said she wasn't straight.

"I guess they're kinda cute. I have an idea as to who they were, but I don't have the energy to talk right now." Lin yawned, leaning on Caspar's shoulder. "I'm just glad that we're all safe and can now go home and sleep."

"Hey, come on Lin, stay up until we get home safe, okay?" Caspar gently shook their head, keeping them off of him. 

"Ugh, fine, but you better keep me awake." Lin put an elbow on a table, resting their cheek on their hand instead.

"I'm glad that you're all safe and sound but… I can't believe that that thing took Hubert from us. We have to get him back!" Alois opened a mini fridge, pulling out a can of cola while his hand pressed down on his forehead. "Oh this is terrible… this is more terrible than my bad puns!"

"Umm… I'm sorry about what happened to him…" She sighed, feeling saddened and guilty over the incident. If anyone had the chance to save him, it was her. 

"It's not your fault, little Bernie. You couldn't do anything about it." Alois softly patted her head, taking a sip of his drink before hanging his head down.

"What exactly happened to that man, Hubert? Why did he suddenly attack us?" Dorothea said, her smile wiped away with the change of topic.

"I don't know!" Alois said to her. "But I've never seen him do that before, any of that! I don't know what's happened to him!"

They all stayed quiet afterwards as they worried over Hubert, until Caspar pointed something out. "Hey, where's Edie?"

She answered, "We must have gotten split up when we were searching for help, let me text her." She opened her Transer, texting Edie through her Brotherband.

"Edie, are you okay? They're worrying for you."

"We're still chasing after him, we'll meet you back home," she replied. 

"She's okay. She said she'll be back at my place," she told the others as she closed her Transer. 

Sirens started blaring from outside. "Thank goodness, Satella's here." Alois said as he got up and made his way to the entrance. They all followed him downstairs, making their way to the entrance.

"Meep!" she said, spotting the detective from earlier heading their way.

"Jeralt? Oh thank heavens, it's you!" Alois said. A small smile formed at his lips for a brief moment, before returning to a pained frown.

"Some kind of situation going on, Alois?" the detective said before he glanced at her. "Hey, you're the kid from earlier, what are you doing here?"

"Iwasjustabystander!" she squeaked.

Her uncle patted her on the head. "This is my niece, she was just here to visit me when the whole thing happened."

"Oh, she is? Well alright. So, tell me what happened."

"Alright, I was showing these students around the new museum exhibit I told you about, when all of a sudden, we were attacked."

"And do you know the name of the attacker?" Jeralt said as he wrote the info down on his Transer.

"It was my assistant, Hubert Dubius. But we believe that he wasn't himself when he attacked us."

"Wasn't himself?"

"That's how it seemed, I think. He was in this bird outfit, and was acting as if there was someone else talking to him! I'm sure he wasn't himself, something or someone must have done something to him that made him act this way!"

"Well that sounds interesting… We're going to open up an investigation on this, okay? We'll be keeping you contacted. The kids can go home now, I'm going to go get some more people to help us out." Jeralt walked away from them, calling for more Satella members to arrive.

"Thank you so much!" Alois waved him off. "Well I guess you all better return home. I'll drive you all home, okay?"

"Thank you Mr. Boreal!" Caspar said. They made their way into her uncle's car, driving all the way to Echo Ridge.

* * *

"Welcome-welcome! Anna reporting! We've just received report that there was an incident at the Amaken research institute just a-"

Bernie turned off the TV. Her stomach was too busy churning over the events of today to want to watch anything. 

"So kiddo, I can tell you're feeling down. It's about the guy, right?" Rock said, popping out beside her.

"Yea… Even though he was scary, and a little mean, he didn't deserve to be controlled like that."

"I wouldn't blame yourself that much. He may not be the strongest FMian, by far, but Cygnus is one of the most determined FMians on the planet. He isn't the type to give up easily, and he always has some kind of escape up his sleeve." Rock scratched his neck, grumbling to himself. "I guess what I'm trying to say is not to beat yourself up too much. Here, let me get you some food to eat." Rock got off his feet, hovering over to the kitchen. A few minutes afterwards, he came back with a hot bowl of ramen, setting it down on the table in front of her. 

"Here you go kiddo, enjoy."

"How did you learn to make it?" It even tasted like how her mom made it, spices and everything.

"When I was learning English from Celsi, she helped me practice by reading all the instructions she had on hand. This was just one of the things I happened to remember." Rock went to the pantry, pulling out the red bag of chips. "Say, do you know what BBQ stands for?"

"It means barbecue flavored," she said, huffing out a breath over Hubert again.

"Oh crap, is that what it is? No wonder I love this stuff, they had some of it in space. It's been so long though, I forgot what it tasted like." He opened the bag, taking a chip for himself.

The door swung open. Bernie turned around to see Edie and Lyra returning from their search. 

"Edie! Lyra! Did you find Hubert?" she asked.

Edie shook her head. "We lost him in the city. He must be hiding somewhere." She sat down beside her, eating from the chip bag as she put a hand on her head.

"Dang it… We have to find him soon…" She sighed, biting on her finger as she slumped down into her chair.

"Don't worry you two," Rock said. "Cygnus is still after me and Lyra, so he's bound to crop up eventually. When he shows up, that's when we'll take him down. We'll save that guy the moment we get the chance, I promise."

"Rocky is right," Lyra added. "Just give it some time, we promise we'll save him no matter what."

Rock stretched his arms. "Now, you two should probably head to bed early. A good sleep might give you some much needed time to recover. Especially you, Edie, you have classes tomorrow."

"Yea…" she said, heading over to her room. "Thank you Rock."

"No problem. Good night, kiddo."

* * *

Hmm… his host seemed quieter now. Still, he had to keep himself focused. If his will wavered, there would be a chance for the owner of his body to take it back from him. That would not bode well for his plans. If he was to take the key to restart Andromeda back, he would need not only this man's body, but he would have to gather his allies together. Warrock one of the most powerful royal guards they had, and Lyra had grown in strength ever since she fused with that girl. It was clear he was at a disadvantage in that fight, even with how inexperienced their hosts were.

And so he continued to walk down the street, entering a large building where multiple people were gathering. It seemed to be some kind of place to buy goods from, judging from all the signs on display with currency symbols on them. He checked his host's pocket, pulling out a wallet which held about about 5000 in currency. That could be useful immediately, but he could guess he'd need more in the future. For now though, he needed to accomplish two things. One: contact the others and gather them into one location to discuss their next move. And two: locate some form of shelter for them to hide in. If the others were unable to find hosts they could fully possess, then they'd all need some place to keep themselves hidden from the world. They weren't here on a mission of diplomacy, after all.

He entered a sub building within the larger building. "Starzenny," the sign read in green letters. From the building, some form of dark aroma escaped, filling his lungs. His human body seemed drawn to it, perhaps this was something his host enjoyed. He entered inside, heading towards the red-headed Earthling woman who seemed to be in charge.

"What do you sell here?" he asked.

"We sell coffee, sir! Can I get you anything?" the red-head woman said with a seemingly practiced yet enthusiastic smile.

"I'll have one, please." It seemed worth the shot. He could feel the intensity of his body's craving grow stronger. Perhaps it would be best to quell it early.

"That'll be 200!" she said as a clicking noise accompanied her from the small machine on the counter.

"200, I see." He checked his wallet again, not finding any denominations that added up to that amount. "I'm afraid I only have 5000."

"No worries, we have change." The Earthling took his currency from him and handed back a larger stack of currency. He counted them up, finding that he was left with 4800 from the transaction.

"And your name is?" she said, pulling out a container and a black pen.

"Hubert." It was most likely better to use his host's name, rather than his own. He would have to make sure he could make other people believe that he and his host were one and the same. If certain humans were to find out his identity, that would make this mission much more difficult.

"And here you go!" she handed the container back to him, now filled with some scaldingly hot black liquid. It was so dark, he didn't think he could see the bottom of the container. He took a sip, only to find himself being burned. "Gah!" It was probably too hot for him. He blew on it, trying to cool it down before sipping once more. 

"Oh my, now this is delicious." His mouth was filled with a dark, bitter and rich taste. He chuckled, taking another sip of the black liquid and relishing its bitterness. Were human drinks always this delicious? Because he might need another drink after this one. He sat down, opening the device his host had worn on his wrist. From what he had learned from Cepheus and Warrock, this device was known as a Transer. He knew there was some kind of way to view the owner's information on it. He started interacting with the device, slowly getting an understanding for the machine. Eventually, he managed to open the information page, finding all sorts of information regarding his host. His age was 19 Earth years, and the place he had just escaped was his workplace. It also had his date of birth, some information regarding his body, alongside something called an 'Address.' 

"Address…" he said to himself as he pulled up the search program, typing in the 'address' into the information bar. A map popped up, giving him directions to said some kind of shelter, presumably where this address led to. It was seven Earth minutes in walking distance from where he was currently. He chuckled to himself once more, taking another sip of his coffee. Looks like he might've been closer to his goal than he thought.

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to:  
> Genderneutralnoun - Beta  
> Tyrux - Beta  
> softandhappy - Beta 
> 
> For helping me out while writing this.


End file.
